Working For The Government
by 1-Artemis-Hunter-1
Summary: What if Annabeth was a foreign "terrorist"? Percy, Nico, and Chiron worked for the government? What happens when Annabeth gets assigned to their division. Percy gets attached to his new partner, and sparks fly. Rated T for minor language and suggestiveism
1. Chapter 1

**The story you are about to read comes from the journal of one Navah Malach, Mossad officer of Israel, you would better know her as her code name. This author would tell you, but it would only ruin the surprise. Her papers were translated from her native language by this author and presented to you for your pleasure.**

**Inside you will find familiarity to the book series _Percy Jackson and the Olympians _this author does not own the characters, only what she plans for the plot and any other OCs.**

**Thank you, and enjoy the story.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>1994, age 13<strong>_

"Navah!" I heard my name being called over the noise of the simulator I was using. I threw my last three knives into three different 'enemy' chests and brought my gun out to kill the rest with deadly accuracy. Never leave a job unfinished, that was my philosophy.

I undid the strap on the holographic simulator helmet and rejoined the real world. Next to me was my step-brother, Loir, and my supervisor. "Yes? What is it Loir?" I asked in Hebrew.

"Father is requesting your presence." He responded back, also speaking in Hebrew. I would be surprised if he spoke in anything less; Hebrew was Israel's language after all. That didn't stop me from learning about ten others from across the globe, of course.

I looked to my supervisor, reluctantly she allowed me to leave. I whacked Loir on the chest and shot him a toothy grin. "Race you." He produced a mischievous grin that mirrored my own and simultaneously, we sprinted forward.

Loir was my older step-brother by my father. He's 30 cm (11 inches) taller than me with dark brown hair, dark skin, and dark chocolate eyes. He was my exact opposite. While Loir inherited my father's genes, I got my mothers.

My mother in question was an American solider father's men captured. Under my father's orders, any female prisoners of war are not to be killed right away-like the males are-after interrogation. They are to be graded and brought to work in the kitchens, cleaning crew, warm the soldier's beds, etc. Any placement sickened me, but I suppose it was better than just killing them.

Back to my mother, she was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. She had amazing blond hair and piercing grey eyes, both of which I inherited. My mother was very tall, almost the same height as Loir-and he's almost two meters (six feet), with a slender frame; not someone you would expect to be in the military.

But yet she was, and my father's men, I don't know which squad or regiment, captured her. My father happened to be waiting for a trail for a mole we discovered and decided to stay. He says when he first laid eyes on her in her army camouflage, blood splattered on her face and clothes, hair a mess, and bound to a chair, he immediately fell in love. Well what he calls 'love', which really meant he thought she was hot and wanted to bed her.

He over ruled the decision to throw her in the kitchen, putting her in a position where she worked very closely with him. They had a one night stand and, bingo, here I am. She stayed only for my benifit, saying she had always wanted a daughter, but stayed clear of my father if she could help it. Inevitably, when I was four, she had my little brother.

I skited to a stop at the entrance of my father's study and waited for Loir. He turned the corner a second later, looking behind him. I didn't move fast enough and he plowed right into me.

We fell to the floor and burst out laughing. Suddenly the door opened; I opened my eyes to see my father's boots. I scrambled to my feet and bowed slightly. "Father."

The brown/grey haired man in front of me cracked an amused smile, but as we walked into his suite he returned to an unreadable expression. My father loved us, and showed us every chance he could, but he still had to be the man with the iron fist at work. He ushered us into the room. "I won." I whispered to Loir as we walked in. He said nothing but glared at me.

We followed father through a side door in the study to a private dinning room. Noam was already there. Noam was a blond, brown eyed baby; a complete mix of my father and mother. He was the sweetest thing at 9; he was the only thing I allowed myself to care for. He was all I had left of my mother.

"Noam," I greeted in heavily accented English. He was picking up a good amount of Hebrew so far, but he's still a little iffy if we talked to fast; that is what we get for letting mother teach him English instead of Hebrew. I always talked to him in English since it was my newest language and I didn't have all the phrases-or 'slang'-exactly memorized yet, so in a way, it was a win/win for both of us.

"Hello Navah," He smiled warmly at me. "How was school today?"

I groaned a bit, it's not that I hated classes, but father insisted I had tutors on _every_ subject. "It was good Noam," I smiled lightly at how he always made a point to ask us how our days went. He was honestly too sweet for his own good. Being nice in our world was dangerous. "How was your day?"

"Great! We started studying how to disarm bombs today! Next week is making them." I nodded in approval. He smiled at me and turned to the two males behind me while I sat down across from him. "What about you Loir? How is the field?" He asked with enthusiasm. Noam couldn't wait until he started his actual Mossad training. Don't ask me why, but he wants to be a suicide bomber. We all have to have a niche, and that's what he chose as his, I guess. Loir was an assassin, and I was planning on following behind him once I graduated high school, so I believe ours isn't much better.

"Just the normal day out there Noam, I won't bore you since, you are not an assassin." He said coldly. Unlike father and I, Loir always talked in Hebrew-even around Noam-but spoke slower as to not confuse him, at least. He nodded, I could tell he wanted to hear about what it was like in out in the field just in general, but accepted his answer.

"Father? How was your day?"

Aba sat down across from my step brother, "My day was nothing out of the ordinary." He said plainly. What Noam didn't seem to grasp, was that he couldn't really tell us what he did, it was all confidental. "Now, shall we eat?" He clapped his hands and several servers brought out dishes.

_**1998, age 17**_

I smiled as my weapons specialist tutor handed me my high school certificate. My father congratulated me with a warm hug, Loir told me 'Not bad, squirt', Noam hugged me and I ruffled his mop of dirty blond hair.

"You know what this means Navah." Father told me, formal for the surrounding agents. I sighed and nodded. "Welcome to the Mossad."

"What are you going to specialize in Nav?" Noam asked around his food later that night. I switched my decision so many times, one could never be sure, but I had finally choosen.

"Assassinations." I answered him, having gone with my original plan. His eyes widened and he started talking excitedly about it. The only one that didn't approve of this was my mother. She didn't approve of her children-even Loir-putting themselves in such danger that is the Mossad, but it was like an 'oh well' kind of thing; she just had to deal with it. Unfortunately, she had enough and five years ago, she left the base because she hated what our father was making us do. I haven't seen her since.

It was saddening that Noam will never know his mother, since he was no more than five when she left, and even more when he asks me about her. I decided to create an allusion for him, that his mom didn't leave him and is no where to be found, but that she was on a top secret mission for Mossad. He only knew she sent him gifts for Hanukkah, which was really just me signing in her handwriting.

_**2001, age 21**_

I stared at the wall as my father continued filling out papers. I could feel my eye twitch a few times and I blinked to solidify my emotions. "Thank you for informing me father." I said, promptly turning on my heel and leaving his study. As I walked down the corridor to my sector, I thought about what he told me.

Noam's mission against the United States was a success.

Why would father send him out? His own son...he had to have known. Suicide bombers only get one mission.

As I walked into the room I shared with a fellow assassin, I sat on my bed and found a vanilla folder sitting there; waiting for me. My next mission.

I opened it and started reading the hurried Hebrew writing. I was being sent on a terrorist mission in Libya, well to stop one anyway. The Libyans were a strong ally of ours. I started packing immediately, only the necessities, and strapping on all my weapons. A hand-gun on my hip, double concealed knives just above my ankle and upper forearm, as well as one on the opposite hip to my gun. Lastly a mini-gun on the corresponding ankle; back ups in my bag. Another philosophy of mine, be prepared for anything. When I was ready I ran out to an already waiting helicopter.

As I walked into the hotel I was assigned to, I guess I was distracted by something because next thing I knew I was on my butt. I was on my feet, gun pointed at the culprit, a second later. I took in their appearance. It was a short, brown haired woman, wearing a grey pin-stripe suit.

I lowered my weapon, deciding she wasn't a threat, helped her up and re-sheathed my gun. "I am sorry ma'am." I spoke in English since she was clearly American so covered with a thick accent it was almost my own language. English was not my best language...

She eyed me a bit, narrowing her eyes slightly and tilting her head like she was examining me. I stuck my chin out just a bit more and returned the gesture. After a few minutes she became very excited. "Annabeth! Long time no see!" She enveloped me in a hug. I stood there motionless and awkward. "Oh, you don't remember. Well I'm not surprised! You hit your head pretty hard. It's me, Joy. Joy Smith? We met on a mission in Japan a few years ago, remember? We worked together to take out our mutual target."

I thought for a second. Suddenly memories flooded into my head. "Joy! It is good to see you again." I smiled at her. She returned it.

"Come on, join me for a drink! We need to catch up." She grabbed my hand and led me to the hotel's bar.

Joy swallowed a gulp of her second Margarita. "I was wondering Annabeth, would you consider a job in the CSI?" I raised my eyebrow at her.

"Why?" Came my simple answer.

"Well there is a surprising lack of Israeli representatives in our agency. The job in question is very dangerous; only someone with experience can take it and, let's face it, you're amazing with that gun of yours."

My hand shot protectively to my gun holster; she laughed then suddenly got serious. "We just had an agent retire and we need a replacement. Its a very important wing of the CSI that investigates most crime scenes; from murders to kidnappings, ecetera. That position needs to be filled and I think you would be perfect."

The, not so subtle, ringing of my disposable phone made me look down. The caller I.D showed my father's number. "I must answer this," I told her and walked a good four meters (12 feet) away before answering. "Father."

"Navah, abort the mission." No hello, no how are you doing, right down to business like always.

"Why, was it leaked?" I spoke quickly in Russian. There were chances people here knew Hebrew, not being so far from the language's place of origin. I do not take chances.

"No," He replied. "Loir has gotten in trouble, go fix it."

"Where?"

"Washington D.C. Get there as fast as you can." With that he hung up.

I stared at my phone; this CSI job was looking much more interesting now.

I walked back over to where Joy was seated at the bar, chatting with the bar tender. "Is there something wrong? I heard you muttering angerly into the phone in..what was that language?"

"Russian." I said quickly, needing to get to the point. "I want to take you up on your offer."

"Oh splendid!" She dropped a piece of paper on the bar and started walking away. I frowned a bit but had no choice but to follow her. "Now, this is my last day in Libya; I was here for a case that strayed into Libyan laws, not fun by the way. Anyway, my flight leaves in...oh about three hours. How soon can you depart?"

"As soon as you need." I said, but thought _'After I kill this terrorist' _I shrugged to myself _'Won't take long.'_

Joy stopped suddenly, a shocked and confused expression met my stone one. "Really?" I nodded. Trying to recover quickly, she shook her finger at me as she started walking again. "Very good! Now, my plane is a private government helicopter, so I'll have to send another to pick you up after I return to the US." Joy smiled at me over her shoulder. Americans sure do smile a lot. "You don't mind do you? It will only be a few days."

I nodded my approval of the plan and waited as she opened the door to her hotel room. "Stay here now Annabeth, I must organize things to a bit more manageable state!"

While she was gone, I took my temporary phone out and opened father's I.D. and dialed it. After the fourth ring father's thick American accent filled my ears. "Malach."

"Father," I spoke, in French this time as it was better than my Russian, and father seemed to prefer it to most the languages I knew. "A CSI agent offered me work in D.C, we are leaving in a few days."

"Good. Keep me posted." I stayed quiet, thinking he would say more, when a buzzing started to emit from the phone. I pulled it back and stared at it in shock. He hung up on me! Suddenly a message popped up on my screen, it was a number. Loir's. He wanted me to call him. I sighed in agitation.

"So how many languages do you know Annabeth?" Joy asked from the other room.

"Ten." I answered absentmindedly, slightly surprised that hadn't come up before.

I heard a hum of approval. "Could you come and help me, Annabeth?"

"Yes." I answered and walked over to her to help.

* * *

><p><strong>In the U.S.<strong>

**Nobody's POV**

Director Smith walked into Chiron's department lobby. There were about ten desks, but this early in the morning she wasn't surprised to see only three were filled. She walked over to the desk the older man was currently sitting at.

"Can I help you, director?" He asked politely, looking up from his paper work.

"I got you a new agent." She said simply.

At this, all three pairs of ears perked up. "Well? May I see their folder?" Chiron asked.

"Of course," Joy handed him a rather bloated vanilla folder. He raised an eyebrow, not knowing if he should be impressed or worried.

Chiron opened it and began reading. He got as far as the first line when his eyebrows became part of his receding hair line. "Joy, are you sure about this?"

"What is it boss?" The two lower agents questioned curiously.

The director ignored them. "Positive, Chiron."

The old man sighed, shaking his head as he continued reading through the large folder. "If you insist." _'The Director always has a reason.' _He thought to himself.

As said director walked back to the elevator to her own floor, both agents jumped from their seats and stood in front of their supervisor's desk. "Who is he?"

"She, Jackson," Chiron corrected the boy. "Is former Israeli Mossad agent, Annabeth Chase."

Suddenly the elevator doors opened again. The three agents looked to see who it was, half expecting to see their new co-worker, but their eyes were met with a crazed looking brown haired man with a gun pointed at their heads.

* * *

><p><strong><em>A few hours before. Annabeth's POV<em>**

I watched as a black helicopter landed on the roof of the hotel. When it was in place, I climbed in and we began our journey across the Atlantic ocean. I barely heard it, but I pulled my ringing phone out of my pocket. "Hello?" I yelled over the noise of the 'copter.

Loir's voice answered, his normally calm voice now loud so I could hear him. "Where are you? Father said you would be coming."

I nodded to myself, remembering he couldn't see me, I responded. "I am on my way, we are-" I paused and asked the pilot how far we were from land. "-four hours from landing. Think you can hold out until then?"

Loir chuckled for a moment, telling me he would see me in D.C. and hung up. Replacing the phone in my pocket, I sat back and watched out of the window of the helicopter as a sliver of land was just becoming visible.

We landed half an hour ahead of schedule on top of the CSI building I would be stationed at. I jumped out of the machine and entered the building, climbing down the stairs until I was met with an elevator opening next to me. "Annabeth! You're here, well come on then, I'll show you were your desk is and you can get acquainted with your coworkers." Joy ushered me in.

I walked in next to her and stood motionless as the metal container lead us down to level four, so said the button blinking on the side panel. When we got there, the doors slid open. The first thing I saw were four men. Two around my age and one much older where facing me, the last man had his back to me. Oh and there's the fact he had a gun pointed at their heads.

I looked down and saw three similar guns at the gun man's feet, they must be the boy's guns. Without hesitation I pulled my own weapon and pointed it at the man. The ding of the elevator must have alerted him of our presence because he bent down and grabbed another gun before turning it and pointing it at us.

I saw his face and I nearly dropped my gun in surprise, it was Loir! What was he doing? _This_ is the trouble father was talking about? Trouble my ass, this was more serious than the word 'trouble' can handle.

I recovered within a second and held my gun tighter while a crazed smile grew on Loir's face. "Loir, put your gun down." I ordered calmly in Hebrew.

"Oh no problem." He winked at me and put the gun he had aimed at me to his side, keeping the other trained on the three men.

My eyes flared. I hated it when he found loops in orders I give him. He does it all the time. I kept a straight face and ordered him to drop both of them, daring him to try that again.

"No can do, sister." He spoke, this time purposely in English. I saw the four others exchange surprised looks but ignored them; keeping my eyes dead locked on my brother. "They must die! We must finish what Noam started!" Loir turned to the three agents and raised both guns. The look in his eye told me he was going to shoot this time.

I couldn't let him kill these agents, but he was my brother! I had this argument in my head that lasted only a few seconds, from when he first said 'no' to when he aimed his gun at two of their heads.

I had to do the right thing.

I pulled my trigger and watched as my brother's lifeless body fell to the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

**Annabeth**

Minutes passed where the CSI agents around me stared at the body in shock. I lowered my gun and re-sheathed it.

Almost as lifeless as Loir, I walked over to him and pulled the second gun from his hand. I collected the other two and offered them to the three men now standing in front of me. The older man was the first to recover, take, and sheath his gun. The other two snapped out of their shock and followed shortly after.

I took the moments they spent gawking at me to get a better look at the three of them. The older man's white/grey/brown hair was cut in a very short style, and his hairline was receding. He wore a light brown suit and grey striped tie. His blue eyes sparkled a bit as he looked at me; an action I found a bit strange.

The youngest looking one standing in the middle had very dark, curly, brown hair. He had a loose military hair cut, but with more hair. He wore a dark brown suit, staring at me with his jaw a slack; his brown eyes showed traces of admiration.

The man closest to me was taller than all of them, and me, by at least 10 cm (4 inches). He had unruly black hair, it looked like he never brushed it-or even attempted to tame it at the rate. Like the other two, he wore a black suit. His piercing green eyes were glued to mine, even when I wasn't looking at him. Suddenly he offered his hand.

"Jackson. Percy, Jackson." He greeted trying to mock a British accent. I rolled my eyes and nodded at him, ignoring his outstretched hand.

"Annabeth."

"Nice to meet you too." he muttered under his breath, thinking I couldn't hear him when I obviously could.

"Pleasure is all yours." I commented, amused when his eyes widened slightly.

"Whoa. That was so epic!" The youngest burst out. I turn to him slowly. "And I've seen some pretty cool things! My name's Nico. Nice to meet you, and thanks for saving my life!" I nodded and gave his hand a quick shake, trying to avoid contact with him. I saw Percy frown out of the corner of my eye and had to repress the smirk that was threatening to breach my expression.

"Well young lady, I had my doubts, but now...Welcome to my team." The older man took my hand in both of his. I allowed it only because he reminded me of my father. "You may call me Chiron." I nodded to show him I understood.

"Do you ever talk?" Percy blurted.

"I talk." I told him sharply. "Not more than necessary."

"You could take a chapter out of her book Jackson." Chiron joked, the corners of his eyes wrinkled in amusement.

"Your accent is cool." Nico commented. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye but said nothing.

"Well," Joy said, walking over from the elevator. "That was quite the welcome! Good work _Agent_ Chase. Welcome to CSI. I'll have a crew sent to clean up." She turned and was whisked away by the elevator.

Chiron led me to an empty desk and gave me some paperwork to start on. I groaned on the inside. I hated paper work, I was more of a hands on kind of girl.

"So," Percy's voice came from the desk next to mine. "Annabeth isn't really an Israel-ish name."

"That is because, it is not." I answered reluctantly, not looking up from the paper in front of me.

"Well if it's not, then why would your parents name you that?"

I growled. "You could not pronounce my real name." He probably could, but that sounded more threatening.

He changed the subject. "That guy is your brother?"

"Not, any more."

"And who was Noah? What did he start?" Nico piped up from the desk across from me.

"Noe-am." I corrected him. "My little brother. He was a suicide bomber." I checked my emotions so I didn't end up breaking down at the thought of my precious baby brother.

"Was?"

I swallowed hard. "Yes. Was." That seemed to shut them up, and I was glad for it. Talking about my family was the last thing I wanted to do right now.

A phone started ringing, it wasn't mine so I ignored it. Chiron picked it up. After a minute he wrapped it up saying, "Alright, yes, we're on our way."

"What's the case?" Percy asked, already standing with a backpack slung over his right shoulder.

"Murder of the news reporter Johnathan Garth. Jackson, DiAngelo; take the van. Chase," Chiron stopped in front of my desk. "You're riding with me. Come on, your gear is in the car."

I stood from my chair, pulling my light brown trench coat over my quarter sleeve red plaid shirt, and followed him out of the building after Percy and Nico. Chiron lead me to a silver car, from the trunk he produced a backpack similar to the one the other two had, and jumped in one side. I opened the door to the other side and climbed in.

Neither of us talked on the drive over, making it very awkward. When we pulled into the driveway, there was a large metal van already sitting there; Percy and Nico were pulling equipment from it. Chiron threw a fourth backpack at me and we walked into the house. The first thing I noticed when we walked in was the blood strewn all over the walls of the kitchen. "Yikes." Percy commented.

"No sign of forced entry." Nico observed.

"He knew his murderer." Chiron agreed. "James can tell us the cause and time of death when he-"

"Gun shot to the shoulder, it did not kill him so he was beat with a hammer until he stopped breathing. Even after just to make sure." I reported. They all looked at me; surprised.

"How did you know that?" Nico marveled.

I raised my eyebrow at him. "There is a bullet wound in his shoulder, that is not a fatal shot; the shooter was not a marksmen. Either did not want to waste another shot, did not _have _another shot, or they wanted him to suffer. They were smart enough to take the gun with them none the less. There are several bruises and cuts that could only come from the two sides of a hammer. Plus, there is a bloody hammer in the sink." I pointed.

"Do you have a time of death too? Because then I might as well leave." A man around 40 walked in. He had dirty blond hair cut short on the sides and longer on the top. He was wearing a black coat that covered blue medical clothing. This must be James.

Chiron laughed. "Of course not James." He nodded to me in approval. "Jackson, take pictures. DiAngelo, mark and bag evidence. Chase, interview the mother; she's the one that found the body."

I nodded and walked over to the sniffling woman standing outside the door to the kitchen, looking in horror at her son's body. I placed a hand on her shoulder and lead her to the couch in the room we were in. I put on a compassion/caring face. "Mrs. Garth, I know this is painful for you, but would you mind answering some questions?"

She nodded and blew her nose into a handkerchief. I took out a small notepad and a pen I found in my backpack. "Was Johnathan home alone?"

"Y-yes, but not for long I assure you. His brother was supposed to take him to his bowling tournament." I had to hide my distaste at bowling. "Johnny got his license restricted when he was chasing after a robbery suspect." She smiled fondly then frowned. "He was charged for endangerment instead of being praised for crashing the robber into a tree and getting the five thousand dollars stolen, returned." She chuckled dryly. "Some government we have, huh?"

I nodded, not really knowing what she meant. "Does Jonathan's brother hold any...resentment towards him?"

"Oh no, Jimmy loves his little brother. Are you implying Jimmy killed Johnathan? No, no, no, no."

I shook my head, "No that is not what I was saying. I was merely asking." I tried for a smile to comfort her. I scribbled more down on my pad. "Does Johnathan have any enemies, being a reporter?"

"None that I can think of, Johnathan never covered dangerous cases." I hummed to acknowledge her last sentence and wrote more notes down.

"Did he have a girlfriend?"

"Oh yes, sweet sweet girl." She smiled fondly.

"What is her name?"

"Penny Switcher."

"Address?"

I wrote the address down as she told me. "Wha-what are you writing?"

I looked up at her briefly. "Notes, to aid me to find your son's assassin."

"But, its just scribbles."

I glanced down at my writing. She was right, but the 'scribbles' did mean something. "It is Hebrew, I have not learned how to write in English yet ma'am."

She gave me a strange look but didn't say anything, in fact she basically ignored me; refused to answer anymore of my questions from then on. After three ignored questions, I gave up and stood; thanking her for her time and expressing my sorrow.

"What'd you find out?" Percy asked me when I walked into the kitchen. I opened my notepad and relayed him the answers of the four questions I got her to answer. "That's it?"

"No, she refused to answer my questions after I told her I was writing in Hebrew." He tilted my notepad with his index finger and looked at it.

His eyebrows went up a bit. "Looks like a lot of scribbles to me."

I sighed. Americans. "In a thought."

Percy's eyes went to the side and his eyebrows frowned; he looked back at me. "You mean, in a sense?"

I rolled my eyes. "Same opposite."

"Difference."

"Whatever."

He shook his finger at me. "You got that one right." I glared at him and turned on my heel.

"Chase, what did you get out of the mom?" Chiron asked later back in the office.

"No enemies, home alone, brother did not seem to have a violent intention. He had a girlfriend named Penny Switcher, that is all I got. She refused to answer me afterwards." Chiron stopped pacing in front of Nico's desk and looked at me.

"Why?"

"She saw me writing. When I told her it was Hebrew, she stopped talking."

"So she has grudges against Jews?" Percy asked. I glared sharply at him. "Sorry."

"Nico." Chiron turned to the bushy haired man. "Look up all family members with Jewish or Hebrew religion or backgrounds."

I glared at all of them and looked down at my paperwork, covered with said language. A hand was placed on my shoulder and before it could be pulled away, I grabbed it and twisted behind the owner's back. "So much for saying sorry." Percy grunted.

I rolled my eyes, let his wrist go, and sat back down. "Hey Chiron, looks like our reporter had just converted to Judaism less than a week before he was murdered."

"So, you think the mother killed him because she didn't approve of his religion?" Percy questioned.

"Impossible." I shot the idea down.

"And why is that Annabeth?" Chiron smiled at me.

I eyed him before responding. "She is not capable of a killing like that."

"So she hired someone?"

Chiron nodded at Percy's newest theory. "Now, the real question. Who?"

"I think I can answer that one." A female voice came from near Nico's desk.

"Rachel," Chiron waved for her to continue; then put a hand up to stop her. "Oh, before you start, meet our newest agent; Annabeth. Annabeth this is Rachel, she's head of our labs. She, along with a group of scientists, dissect our evidence for fingerprints, blood, everything like that."

I nodded to her briefly. "Doesn't say much does she?"

"We'll explain that later." Nico told her. "But for now.."

"Oh, right. Well I examined the hammer, there was a partial fingerprint on it and I was able to get a match." She pulled a picture out of a folder and handed Chiron a picture. "His name is Billy Matthews. He's been jailed with several violence charges in the past."

"Percy, bring him in. Nico, interview the brother." The two of them scrambled to do as Chiron asked while I sat there and did nothing. "Annabeth, go interview the girl."

I was about it get up, when suddenly Rachel's face popped into my field of vision. Rachel had fiery red hair and piercing green eyes, so she was hard to ignore. "May I help you?" I finally asked.

"So you do talk!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I do believe most humans talk."

"I mean, you weren't talking before."

"I believe there is a time to talk, and a time to listen."

She nodded. "So where you from?"

"Are Americans always this...intrusive?" I questioned, starting to get annoyed.

Rachel nodded enthusiastically. "Yup."

"Or Rachel is at least." Percy said as he passed on his way to the elevator.

"Percy!" Chiron called, he turn around. "Take Annabeth with you, but Annabeth, go by _yourself_ to the girlfriend's."

I nodded, grabbed my backpack and jacket, joining Percy in the elevator. Happy to get away from Rachel's interrogation. "Where are we going?" I asked to fill the silence.

"Well Nico gave me his home address," He said, flipping threw a few of the papers in his hands. "And his work address. What do you want to start with?"

"What do I want to start with?"

"Yeah, sure." Percy lead me to the silver car Chiron had driven earlier.

"Well," I looked at my watch. "I would expect one would be at work at this time of the day, yes?"

He started the car and pulled out of the building parking lot. "Good idea."

* * *

><p><strong>Reviews make me happy :) <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Annabeth**

Percy parked in a high school parking lot. I gave him a look. "Are you positive we are in the right location?"

He nodded. "Says he's a janitor here. Let's go." We both climbed out of the car and entered the school. There were kids everywhere, I inched just a little closer to Percy. He chuckled. "What? Afraid of some high schoolers?"

"They are all...staring at me." I muttered so only he could hear. The fact only made him laugh harder.

"You're just exotic. Don't get much of that in high school, trust me." Percy shuttered. He turned around and seemed to see something important. "Stay here. I'm going to talk to the Principal about Matthews."

Exotic? I decided to ignored it and nodded, placing my hands in my trench coat. I looked around at the walls filled with art of the students and posters for various clubs. Suddenly a hand gripped my lower arm. I grabbed the intruder's arm and flipped them over, slamming them against the floor with my knee in their stomach; gun at his neck.

It was boy, a few years younger than me, with short cropped blond hair. He was wearing a black and yellow jacket with a large J on it. "Whoa." He said, his blue eyes wide and breathless.

A crowd formed around us to see what was going on. One of them called out "Matt got beat up by a girl!" and everyone started laughing. After I had calmed down, I stood up and put my gun away; glaring down at him. When the 'Matt' boy remained on the floor, I ordered him to stand, but offered him no assistance.

"I like a woman that takes control." He got very close to me and looked down at me from his 15 cm (6 inches) height advantage.

I glared up at him. "I can kill you with my fake nail, so unless you wish your life to take a unusually short end, I suggest you back away."

Despite my, very real, threat; he didn't give up. The boy was persistent. "Come on, I know you don't mean that."

There was a familiar click behind me and a voice said, "But I think she does." Percy placed his gun to the boy's head. "Now, leave Officer Chase alone, or I'll arrest you for harassment of a federal agent." Matt's eyes widened and he ran away quickly. Percy placed his gun back in it's holster and turned to me. "Come on, principal said today was Matthew's day off."

As we were walking out of the school, I voiced, more to myself than to him. "Publicly showing our badges would prevent, or lessen, that from happening, yes?"

Percy shrugged. "Yeah I guess. What do you suggest?"

I pulled my badge from my coat pocket and situated it in my belt on my left hip. "There."

Percy's eyes glanced over before returning to the road. "Good idea. You seem to be having a lot of those today."

I shrugged but didn't say anything, looking out the window to watch the surroundings rush by. As 10 minutes went by, Percy pulled into a beat up old house. "Here we are." He didn't sound happy about it. I don't blame him, the house looked like it should be quarantined and blown up-I mean...demolished.

We walked to the front door and I knocked. A muffled male voice from inside, "Coming." The door opened less then half a minute later. The man that answered couldn't have been older than 35, he had a white muscle shirt on that showed his well toned chest, and blue jeans. There was a skull tattoo on the left side of his neck, and a long scar going up the inside of his right arm.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" He asked, looking intently at me and completely annoying Percy.

"Billy Matthews?" I assumed.

"Who's askin'?" He eyed Percy.

Percy pulled his badge out, "CSI, we need to ask you a few questions. Do ya' mind?" The way he said it made me think there was something more behind it than just the murder interrogation.

Matthews stood there for a moment, before stepping aside to let us in. "So what is the government trying to pin on me this time?" he acquired. "Though, I appreciate them sending a more attractive officer this time." He beamed at me. I glared.

"Where were you last night, Mr. Matthews?" Percy asked.

"I was cleaning up after the damn dance. Stupid teenagers. It's one of the few jobs I could get with a high school degree and a bad record, but it pays the bills with the other jobs I pick up on the side." Billy shrugged.

"Can someone confirm that?"

"Of course! Ask the darn principal."

I 'hmm'-ed and joined the interrogation. "Do you know, Mr. Matthews, I am from Israel? Do you have anything to say about that?"

"Yeah, good for you. How's the terrorism?" He joked.

I pushed down my anger and answered calmly. "I would have to ask my father, but I am sure he is not planing anything else after a week ago." His eyes widened and he gulped. "So you have nothing against Hebrews, or Jews?"

"Not at all. I mean, you got your religion and I gots mine." Billy shrugged. "Not my place to interfere."

As I wrote that and previous information down, Percy produced a photo of Johnathan and handed it to Matthews."Do you know this man?"

He took it and stared at it a second. I looked up from my notepad and studied his scrunched up eyebrows, his eyes darted all over the dead reporter's face, but he didn't seem to have any trace of guilt, nervousness, or anything that would suggest he murdered him.

Suddenly he smiled and poked the picture a few times before giving it back to Percy. "Hey yeah! That's that reporter dude. I've seen him on the news a few times. What's his name...um...Garth?"

I nodded. "Johnathan Garth."

Billy smiled at me, flashing his yellow teeth.. "Yeah, that's it. So what's he got to do with anything?"

"He was murdered last night at approximately 2100 hours." I said.

He didn't say anything for a second. Then, "When?"

I sighed and cursed in Hebrew under my breath. "Always have to simplify it for you Americans. 9 pm Matthews!"

Billy scratched the back of his neck. "Man, that sucks. Poor dude, I wish him the best and all, but I didn't kill him. I was helpin' setting up the gym for the snot-nosed kids then. Principal can, you know."

"Well, there's our problem Mr. Matthews." Percy pulled another picture from his folder. "See this hammer? It was used to beat Mr. Garth to death when the murderer missed his heart with a gun shot. We found your fingerprint on it."

Billy frowned and gulped. "What did you say the address to the house was?" He asked pointing to the picture. I belayed the address and he smiled. Something about the smile ate at me, but I couldn't place it. It was almost like he was relived. "Yeah that's what I thought. You know those side jobs I was tellin' you about? This lady that lives at that house put an ad in the paper for a quick maintenance project."

"Why did she not call a specialist?" My eyes narrowed.

He shrugged smoothly. "Got me ma'am, but I answered; needed the money. She had me build a deck in her backyard, of course I had to use the hammer."

"Do you mind coming in with us so we can officially rule you out?" Percy stood up.

Matthews ran a hand threw his hair. "I can't miss work, I'll be behind on my payments."

Percy looked at me like he expected me to come up with something. I shook my head. "Do not look at me. I know nothing of the American working program, or whatever it is called."

He sighed. "Every job has paid vacation days Matthews. Just use one or two of them, max." Billy opened his mouth, probably to rebuttal, when Percy shut him off, pulling his handcuffs out. "Or we can just arrest you, make it harder to find jobs."

Billy sighed. "Alright, alright. I'll call in. Just give me a second."

"Rachel," Percy called to the scientist when we walked back into level four lobby. "Take a DNA sample from Matthews. Bring him over to interrogation when you're done."

"Aye eye captin'!" She giggled as she lead him to, I assumed, her lab. Percy rolled his eyes at her.

"Wonder how Nico's doing with the brother, what was his name again? Jimmy?" I nodded.

"I am going to interview the boy's girlfriend." I grabbed my backpack and held my hand out for the keys. Percy gave them to me reluctantly. I gave him a fake, over sweet smile and walked out.

It took me a few extra...dozen minutes to find her house, but I finally pulled into the right apartment complex. I walked to the man behind the desk. "Which apartment does Ms. Penny Switcher reside in?"

He smiled at me, "Are you sure that's who you want, hun?" I pulled back my coat so he could see my badge and more importantly-my gun, better and glared at him. He gulped and typed on his computer. "She's in apartment 47-B."

I nodded and walked to the elevator, pressing level four and glared at the guy behind the desk until it closed. The doors opened a minute later and I began my search for apartment 47-B. When I found it, I knocked on the door. A relatively attractive woman with brown hair and green eyes opened it. "Can I help you?"

I pulled back my coat once more. Her eyes flashed down to my badge. "I need to ask you a few questions Ms Switcher."

"What about?" She acquired and handed me a glass of water.

I took it. "Your boyfriend."

"Well you got the wrong girl then agent Chase." Penny took a sip of her water. "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Johnathan Garth, name ring a bell?"

Penny scratched the back of her neck. "Yeah, we broke up about a week ago."

"Do you mind telling me why?"

She rubbed her hands together and stared at the coffee table for moment. "It may sound a bit...I don't know how to describe it, but he had insisted on converting to Judaism. Then he tried to make me, we got into a lot of fights about it before I finally just ended it."

"Why is converting to Judaism a reason to break up with him?"

"Well it wasn't so much the Judaism, but more of the fact he tried to make me too." Penny paused to shake her head. "What is this about, agent Chase?"

"Annabeth, Johnathan was murdered yesterday."

Her hand went to her mouth and she lowered her head, she looked to the right. I looked her up and down. "Penny," She looked up at me, tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "Where were you last night at 2100?"

"I was at a bar, with my girls, celebrating Minnie's birthday." Her eyes flashed left.

"Name, address." I demanded. Penny gave it to me. "I also need you to come in for DNA testing."

She opened her mouth to respond when the door opened and a male voice called, "Pen! You ready to go babe?" A male walked into the room we were sitting in and stopped short. "Who's this Pen?"

"Mark, this is CSI agent Annabeth Chase."

"Well, you certainly...oh what is the phrase...rebound fast." I told her.

"You say that like you don't know." Mark laughed jokingly.

I stared up at him. "We do not have much English interaction in Israel, so no, I would not know." They both shared a look. I stood up. "Come with me, Ms Switcher." When she didn't, I pulled my handcuffs out. "Peacefully or against your will; your choice."

"Just go with her Pen, we'll make this up after you get out." He placed a kiss on the top of her head. "You will get out."

She nodded briefly and turned to me. "Let's go." I led her to my car and back to the CSI building.

"Confirm Matthews' alibi yet?" Chiron asked as I walked in.

"Doing it now." Percy answered with his phone to his ear.

Nico came in right behind me with a new cut on his cheek. "What happened to you?" Percy tried, and failed, to keep from laughing.

"Jimmy boy decided he didn't want to talk to me and tried to run away." Nico grumbled.

"How did you get cut?" I asked as I pulled my portable first aid kit out. I walked over to him and dabbed some anti-bacterial cleaner on a gauze pad and began cleaning his cut. He winced but answered my question. "I ran into a glass door he shut to try to slow me down."

I nodded and covered the wound. "There. Now, shall we question our runaway?" I turned on my heel and walked to the elevator. I entered when it opened, the two of them were still standing there staring at each other. "I do not know the way." I called to them.

Nico shrugged and joined me. Percy came in last and pressed the button that would send us to floor six. Nico turned to me as we were ascending. "Where did you learn medical care?"

Staring straight ahead at the closed metal doors, I said in a monotone "When I was learning how to kill people, I was also briefed in making sure I did not kill myself in the process. This covered how to take care of myself or my partner when, and if, my target was a fighter."

Neither of them talked the rest of the ride.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok, so let me go over a few things. **

**Yes, I did take a few things from NCIS, BUT I changed twice as many for the sake of not copying it. One of those things includes changing a few things in Mossad. Like they have suicide bombers now, and Israel is not the United State's ally because of 9/11, which if you read the bold dates I put in, just happened and America is weary of everyone. **

**It's called fiction for a reason people!**

**On with the story.**

* * *

><p><strong>Annabeth<strong>

"Tell me, Jimmy, _if _that's your real name!" I rolled my eyes at Percy's strange technique from behind the one way mirror. "Where were you yesterday night at 9 pm?"

Jimmy seemed just as annoyed as I was. "I was just wrapping up a dinner party with my clients so I could bring my younger brother to his bowling tournament."

"And if we called them they could confirm that?"

"Of course."

Percy nodded but didn't look convinced, "What about the fingerprints we found on the doorknob of the house your brother was found in?"

"I visit my aging mother at her house, so sue me for being a good son."

"I'm going to bring in a special agent to ask you a few more, personal, questions." I took that as my cue, and waited next the door for Percy to emerge. "All yours, Annabeth."

I walked into the open door before it closed and sat down across from him. I didn't say anything, show him anything, or do anything for a good five minutes. It was after that he snapped. "Would you just ask me questions already!"

I shrugged and pulled out a picture of his brother from the autopsy. He got a sick look on his face and buried his face in his hands. "Oh god."

"That is your brother Jimmy."

"Oh god. Oh god." He kept repeating, a finger cracked open so he could see the photo.

"During our investigation, we found two kinds of blood on the scene." I told him, reading Rachel and James' findings in my folder.

"The killers." He snarled. "Who is it? I'll kill 'em!"

"Relax." I snapped. "The second blood type is very similar to Johnathan's." I looked up at him. "A close blood relative."

"No. I did _not _kill my brother!"

"We cannot be certain until you give us a blood sample to test against it."

"No way! I wouldn't murder my brother." Jimmy repeated.

Ignoring his outburst, I continued talking. "We also examined dead skin under his fingernails, where he most likely grabbed at his attacker before he went down." Without moving my head, I glanced up at Jimmy. It was subtle, but I saw the way his left hand fingers twitched. "Would you mind pulling up your left sleeve?"

He stared me down for several moments before doing as I asked. There were three distinct marks on his arm, and they looked fresh. "Where did you get those?"

"I have a dog." He said sharply.

"I have been around animals all my life, and I can assure you, dogs make a much deeper impression. Those were made by human fingernails."

Jimmy looked at the wall for a moment. "Alright fine, I got in a fight with my wife. Money, you know, that stuff."

"Do you and your _wife _ever fight about things like, oh, religion?"

"No, we're both proud Catholics."

I pushed my papers around as I spoke. "So what about your brother? He just converted to Judaism."

"My brother was a fool." Jimmy said, I could hear some distaste in his voice.

"If he was a fool, what about me?"

He eyed me. "What about you?"

I closed my folder. "I am from Israel."

An outright look of disgust enveloped his face. "Get away from me, you filthy _Jew_!" I didn't flinch when he tried to lunge at me. He was handcuffed to the chair, which was bolted to the floor.

Suddenly the door opened and Percy walked in with his hand on his gun. "You better _sit down._" He growled. Garth did so, reluctantly.

"I was questioning your mother, and when she found out she refused to talk to me. Does this hatred of Jewish and Hebrew people run in the family?" I continued, Percy had closed the door and stood behind me; his hand still on his gun.

"I don't have to tell you anything you good for nothing-"

"Answer the question!" Percy snapped from behind me.

Jimmy glared at him. "Ma always had a sore spot for the Jewish people. She didn't approve of the religion."

"Catholic and Judaism are not much different."

"They're different enough!" He spat.

"How deep does this hatred go?"

"My grandma is from Germany, and lets just say she wasn't all for helping." Jimmy looked away from me.

I nodded, stood, and walked out. I heard Percy right behind me after a brief pause. "He had no right to talk to you like that." He grumbled. "He's lucky I didn't deck him." I rolled my eyes but said nothing, letting him dream about punching his lights out. Just like I had. We walked back to our lobby.

"What did you get out of the brother?" Chiron asked us. Nico had joined us on the way out.

"Well we found out he hates Hebrews just like mommy." Percy said. "Told us mom always had a sore spot for Jews even though Catholic isn't very far from it. He lunged at Annabeth when he found out she was one too."

Chiron nodded. "The religion Christianity, and then the Catholic branch, was founded on the Jewish religion. Everything went bad when they started accusing each other of straying away from base."

"They started to execute each other, and that hatred has grown." I added. "Father never liked Christians either, they made up a good portion of my assassinations." I ignored their looks and continued. "He also had marks on his arm that corresponded with the dead skin under Johnathan's nails."

"Did he agree to a DNA test?" Chiron asked. I shook my head. "Bring him down to James, he's getting one anyway." Nico nodded and left. "Good work you two."

"Chiron," I called as he walked away. He turned around and looked at me with a waiting expression. "I brought Penny down to Rachel to get tested, but I expect the mother was in on it as well."

"Well, we'll bring her in for questioning. Someone else, seeing as we already ruled you out." He chuckled at his own joke. I just rolled my eyes. "What do we have linking the brother to the crime scene?"

I pulled out a piece of paper. "We found a second blood type, and bloody gloves. Rachel is still testing it for a match."

Percy waved his hand around. "That's why his prints weren't on the hammer, and Matthews' were instead."

"Yes." I said, walking around to my computer and pulled up Mrs. Garth's information. "It also says that Mr. Garth, before passing, owned a personal hand gun. Registered so it was legal." I answered their unasked question. They nodded.

"So of course the wife got it in the settlement." Percy voiced. "Or one of the two boys, most likely the oldest."

Chiron nodded. "Percy, go back to the house, find the weapon and the woman." I grabbed my backpack and started to follow him when Chiron stopped me. "You're staying here Annabeth."

"What do you wish me to do?" I asked, placing the bag down.

He gave me a piece of paper. It was a floor plan of level 10 with a trail marked out in red. "Follow the directions to get your I.D. badge. While you still have free time would be best."

"It is that easy?"

"Well, it might be a _little _harder for you, but you understand that." I nodded and walked to the elevator.

I stared at the laminated card in my hand, feeling somewhat proud of it after sitting through the two and a half hour process. "Admiring yourself while I do all the work? Some partner you are."

I looked up and watched as Percy sat at his desk. "Who was to say I am your partner?"

"Me, because it ain't Nico, and you replaced my old partner so...you got stuck with me." He looked up and flashed a grin, I resisted the urge to groan.

"Yes, congratulations agent Chase." Chiron said as he sat down. "Rachel should be getting us her results on the brother's blood test, as well as the mom's and Penny's, soon."

Just as he said this, my computer dinged. I opened the new message. "Rachel says the second blood sample from the crime scene matches the brother's, but..." I frowned in confusion at the computer screen, reading it over a few times to make sure I was reading it correctly.

"But what?" Percy pushed.

"But it also matched Penny's. The gun had the mom's fingerprints all over it." I added.

"Well yeah, it's her gun."

"The caliber and ballistics matched the slug pulled from the body." I paused. "This means?"

"It means that the gun owned by Mrs. Garth is the one that shot Johnathan." Nico supplied as he walked in and sat down at his desk.

"Yes. Annabeth, what about Penny?"

"Rachel said the two's blood were exact matches of each other."

Percy's eyebrows shot up. "How does that happen?"

"Twins." Chiron and I said at the same time. I continued. "I would not be surprised if it was her however."

"Why is that Annabeth?"

"When I was interviewing her, she made some hints."

"Hints?"

"When I told her Garth was murdered, she looked down and to the right, like she was remembering something. Also when I asked her where she was that night, she answered down and to the left."

"What does down to the left mean?" Chiron questioned.

"It means, she is lying."

"Who can you check for verification?"

"A friend named Minnie. I have her number and can check."

"Good, oh and Annabeth, what else did you specify in Mossad?" Chiron asked me suddenly.

I thought for a second. "What exactly you are looking for would be a better question."

"Hacking."

I cracked a closed, half smile. "That, was my second major, as you would call it."

"Good. Hack into Jimmy Garth's work cameras and mark the time he was there from the time he left."

My eyebrows scrunched up and I frowned, but before I could say anything, Percy spoke up. "Couldn't we just go ask to see them? We have that security authorization."

"Yes, but this is more fun."

Nico and Percy burst out laughing, even I couldn't help but let a small laugh out. "I prefer the fun way." My fingers went to work.

"Jimmy arrived at his work station at 0600, and did not leave until 2100." I reported half an hour later.

"6 am to 9 pm," Chiron translated. "Johnathan's murder was before he even got to the house. How long does it take to get to the house in the first place?"

"Well if he was obeying the speed limit, about ten minutes." Percy answered.

I piped up again. "He did not return afterwards."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Yes it does. It means he wasn't there." Chiron shook his head. "Where was the mom?"

"Well, we don't know yet." Percy slung his backpack over his shoulder. "Annabeth made her clam up."

"Well then, get moving Jackson."

"On my way Chiron." Percy called as the elevator doors slid shut.

"Good work Annabeth." The old man praised me, even going so far as to rub my shoulder from his position behind me. "You are proving to be a valuable player in our team."

Now I couldn't keep the smile off my face, thinking that I was starting to like this job.

At 2100 hours, I stood from my desk. "Chiron," The man turned to me. "I must set up living quarters and-"

"Yes Annabeth, you may go. Do you need a ride?"

I blinked. "A ride?"

"To a hotel, unless you want to walk."

"Yes, thank you."

Chiron nodded. "Jackson, bring Annabeth to a Bed and Breakfast."

"Yes sir." Percy stood and wrapped his coat around his shoulders. "Come on Annabeth." I grabbed my coat and followed him somewhat reluctantly. "So, did daddy cut you off or-?"

"Cut me off?"

"You know, stop funding you."

I pulled a red credit card from my pocket. "I was on a mission when your director picked me up. All missions come with a fully stocked credit card."

He gulped. "Did you uh, finish the mission?"

"Oh of course. Card would have been cancelled had I not."

"Doesn't your dad check his credit score?" Percy laughed nervously.

"Not if it is assigned to me."

"Why?"

I played with my leather I.D. case. "My father may not be a 'nice man' by your standards Percy, but he does trust me. He understands I buy what I need, and only that."

"What no luxuries?" He laughed. "You have an unlimited balance on a credit card, and you don't treat yourself every once and a while?" I fixed my gaze straight ahead."Oh come on! Seriously? Do you ever have fun? And don't say anything about hacking."

I shrugged. "There is no time for 'fun' in my world."

Percy pulled into a parking lot of a hotel and turned off the car. "Well come on, little miss stick in the mud. Let's check you in."

"I am able to check myself in, Percy. I have been to more hotels than you can imagine."

"Ever in America?"

"No, but why does that matter?"

He stepped side and waved a hand in. "Ladies first."

I walked into my new hotel suite, Percy trailing behind me. "Is there a reason you followed me up here, Agent Jackson?"

"Well no, but I can't say good night to my partner, Agent Chase?" He returned.

"Good night." I turned and closed the door in his face.

* * *

><p>The next day I walked into the building, leaving my new rental car in the employee parking lot. When I walked into level four lobby, Percy decided to comment on my new wardrobe.<p>

"Well well well, look who finally got a fashion sense!"

I rolled my eyes at him and looked down at my outfit. A pair of black skinny jeans, grey blouse, and red blazer with black ballet flats. "Oh, and you are to talk." I joked right back, gesturing to his pale peach, button up checkered shirt and dark slacks.

"Hey, this is legit!" I gave him a blank stare. "Oh my-you can't tell me you don't know what legit means!"

"Oh I know what it means, just not in the sense you are using."

Percy put his head in his hands. "This is going to be a long partnership."

I merely shrugged and walked behind my desk. "What is the status on the news reporter murder?"

"I'll let Rachel answer that one," Chiron said, "Come on, down to the lab!"

I placed my coat on the back of my chair and followed behind the old man down to the third level of the building. When we entered the lab, Rachel ran up to us. "Hey guys!"

"Rachel, show us what you got on Garth's murder."

"Ah yes, this I've been waiting for! Follow me!" A second later Rachel disappeared behind several doors. I waited for Percy and Chiron pass before following. When I turned the forth corner, I found Rachel huddled over a bunch of computers; Nico next to her. "The second blood type I was telling you about, is from a blood relative, but it's not the brother's. Its feminine."

"That's the only difference? Than how is it not his?"

"Because Percy, he isn't a girl."

Percy glared at Nico, "Thanks Nico."

"If it is not him," I broke above their bickering. "Then who is it? Mrs. Garth only has two sons."

"No, she only _kept_ two sons." Rachel pulled a folder out of a large pile and handed it to Chiron. "Mrs. Garth had three children, but could only keep two, and guess what; the third was a girl."

"Why did she give her up?"

"She was actually her first child," Rachel handed over two other folders. "She was only 17, she had to give one of two identical twins up. She picked her."

"Why keep one if not the other?" I asked. Rachel shrugged.

"How old was Johnathan?" Nico asked.

"He was 31, which means the mom got pregnant again only 3 years later."

"Pregnant at 20?"

"Better than 17." Chiron pointed out. "So it is Penny?"

"The very same." Rachel smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

**I apologize on the long wait!**

* * *

><p><strong>Annabeth<br>**

Percy ran a hand through his hair. "Was she aware?"

"That she was adopted? Yes. That her ex-boyfriend was her brother? No. That she had a twin brother? Again, no."

"Yikes. I would hate to figure that out." I smacked Percy on the chest. He rubbed the place of contact and muttered "Ow."

Nico scratched his head, like he was still processing the new information. "So the girlfriend did it?"

"Yes and no. The dead skin under the victim's nails did match the brother's DNA, but its been dead for a while. Like a week old, I almost couldn't get _any_ DNA off it."

"Rachel," I interjected. "There are human fingernail marks on Jimmy's arm. They look fresh however, not a week old."

"Yes!" Rachel pointed at me and smiled. "I swabbed the marks on his arm and, bingo, there was a fragment of a nail. There was enough DNA on it and I matched it to Jimmy's wife."

Percy hummed. "So he wasn't lying when he said he got into a fight with her then."

"No," I mused. "The angle the marks are indented into his skin would suggest he caught her as she fell." Rachel nodded with a happy expression. "What?"

"You're really good at this stuff Annabeth." She praised.

"Assassins were trained to be aware of everything, even if we could not see it." I shrugged it off. Rachel's eyes went huge. I looked at the boys. "She did not know?" Percy and Nico sent me a sheepish smile.

Rachel gave me one last look that said she was going to question me about it later, and recovered remarkably fast. "But you're right, Jimmy's wife went to the hospital yesterday. She fell on glass, said a kid hit a baseball through the window and she tripped over the carpet into it. Left with a few minor cuts, the worst was only two stitches. Her husband brought her in."

"What time?"

She turned and clicked on something in her computer before responding a minute later. "At about 9:30pm."

"Who plays baseball that late?" I questioned.

"There's a field right next to their house, it has night lights so I wouldn't be surprised if kids snuck out to play. I used to do it all the time." Percy smiled.

"Rachel," Chiron said. "What about the gun? Was the mom in on it or not?"

"Well, it's hard to tell. I mean, her fingerprints are on the gun-no one else's, but when you interrogated her yesterday she said she wasn't at home at 9 o'clock; that she was out for dinner. I had Annabeth hack into the cameras and sure enough, she was eating with some other old ladies at the time her son was murdered."

While the boys were laughing, Chiron questioned "When did she leave?"

"Around 2130." I answered. "She called police around 2200 and they notificated us-"

"In the morning, yes very considerate of them." Chiron commented. He opened his mouth to say more, but a voice beat him to it.

"I can explain that." James walked into the main lab. His medical clothes had dried blood on them. Chiron motioned him to continue. "Annabeth was a tad off when she predicted how our news reporter died. He was beat with a hammer, that much is true, but he wasn't shot until after."

"He was dead before he was shot? Then why shoot him in the first place?" Nico offered a small trashcan to the doctor; in which he placed his bloody gloves.

"Excellent thought Nico, I suspect someone else came in while the boy was being beat to death and finished the act by shooting him in the shoulder." James used his index and thumb to simulate a gun shot.

"The mom _was_ in on it." Percy whispered, mostly to himself.

Chiron nodded and patted James on the shoulder. "I'll have them picked up, good job team." With that he left, James followed shortly after him.

I watched them go. "That is it?"

"Well yeah," Percy shrugged. "We only investigate and get the murderer, or whatever the case may be. Then the courts use our evidence to convict, they go to jail, and we feel all warm and fuzzy inside."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Come on Annabeth, I want to show you D.C.!" Nico beamed at me. "America's actually really cool, when you cut out the murders."

I chuckled and looped my arm around his waiting one. "Sounds like fun Nico."

As we were walking through the door, Percy called out to us. "Hey!" We turned around "Can I come with you guys?" Nico and I shared a look, we burst out laughing and continued out the door. Almost two hours later, Nico and I had stopped for lunch at an outdoor cafe when a familiar face flashed in my peripheral vision. I turned and searched for who I expected I saw. Nico noticed.

"Hey, Annabeth, what's wrong?" He asked.

I looked back at him. "I apologize Nico, I thought I saw someone I knew." My eyes flashed back to the park across the street and sure enough, there was my old partner. "You know Nico, why don't you go back to the office. I see an old friend and I wish to catch up with him."

"Well, alright, see ya in a few hours, Annabeth." He stood and walked to his car, but before he started it, he opened the window and called out to me. "Annabeth, call if you need anything."

I nodded in thanks and walked across the street. I stopped behind a man on a park bench. I couldn't see his face, but I already knew what he looked like. His brown hair cut short and tousled in the front, brown eyes, and the typical dark skin most Israeli people have.

"Shalom Navah." He greeted.

"Calev. What are you doing here?" I demanded.

"No hello, how are you," He stood from his bench and walked around next to me. He was wearing a dark blue striped dress shirt and dark slacks with dress shoes; a suit jacket slung over his shoulder. He's always been formal. "Always right to the point with you, Navah." When I didn't say anything, his amused smile faded and he sighed. "Alright, but not here. Come on."

I followed behind Calev as he lead me down the street, not stopping until we reached a warehouse where he pulled me in. "Now tell me, why are you here?"

"Your father sent me."

I sighed, "He wishes me to return?"

"Actually no," Calev pulled lightly at his hair. "He wants you to stay here and gain the government's trust. He's giving you four years."

"What is this, college?" I said, exasperated.

He shrugged. "I don't know Navah, but this CIS thing, was a good idea. He doesn't stop talking about it. 'My daughter has done what none of you could in 10 years!'." He attempted an impersonation of my father, a bad one at that.

I scratched the side of my neck with my index finger. "It is CSI, not CIS."

Calev shook his head. "Can't you just accept the praise Nav? Gosh. Infiltrated the American government on the first day, first time _ever_ on American soil. My first day was with a bunch of hobos. I knew you were good, but I never knew you were that good."

"I was just in the right place at the right time."

My partner merely rolled his eyes. "For a cold hearted killer, I can always count on you to be humble."

"We all have ours."

Cal smiled at me. "I have to go, I'm only on a quick drop in. Ami wanted me to tell you to call weekly, oh and to buy a loft, car, and a real cell phone; using a disposable for this long looks a little suspicious don't you think?"

"Why would he want me to buy all these things?"

"Do you know how paranoid this country is right now? You are Israeli, people will be suspecting you in the first place, so you need to make it look like you _want_ to live here. You are undercover Navah. Don't make it like Quebec."

I rolled my eyes, "You will never let me live that down, will you?"

"Nope." He popped the 'p'. "It is the only time you have ever messed up, and probably ever will; unfortunately for me."

"Whatever Calev. I need to get back to the work my father is _so_ proud of." I turned and walked to the door.

"Hey," I felt him grab my wrist, but I didn't throw him on the ground like I normally did if someone touched me. "They need to believe you."

"How long would that take?"

Cal shrugged. "Do not know that, but you better find out! See you back in Israel...Annabeth."

I laughed out loud "Todah..._Caleb_." We walked out and back to the cafe I first saw my best friend at, Calev stopped me.

"Here, let me give you a ride since you sent your buddy off."

I nodded. "Alright, and maybe I can give you a tour." Calev gave me a kind of wolf smile and placed his hand on my back, leading me to his car. We pulled into the CSI building and I got out. "Come on, Caleb." I smirked at him.

After I got him a visitor pass, we went up to my level four lobby. I walked over to my desk, laughing at an old memory from Quebec, despite the fact it was at my expense. Percy and Nico both sent me confused and skeptical looks.

I composed myself and gestured to Calev. "Boys, this is my friend, Caleb."

Nico stepped forward and offered his hand. "Name's Nico. This the dude you saw at the cafe?" The second part of his question directed at me.

"Yes, I am going to give him a tour."

"You hardly know your own way around, Annabeth." Percy argued.

I shrugged. "We have a bit of catching up to do anyway. Oh, and this is Percy. Now, come on," I grabbed Cal's hand and pulled him towards the elevator. "I want to introduce you to Rachel."

"Who is Rachel?" He asked.

I waited until the doors closed to smack him. "Do you want to know how the CSI operates or not?"

Cal kissed me on the cheek. "I ever tell you you are the smartest person I know?"

I chuckled. "Do not let my father hear you say that."


	6. Chapter 6

**Percy's POV**

I paced behind my desk. It's been 20 minutes since Annabeth left with her friend Caleb.

"Would you quiet pacing dude? It's making me dizzy." Nico said from his desk, across from mine.

"Then don't look." I retorted absentmindedly. I didn't need to look at him to know he was rolling his eyes.

"Percy," Chiron's voice made me look up. "Where's Annabeth?"

"Giving a tour to her friend Caleb."

Chiron gave me a look like he was trying to understand what I said, his eyes narrowing a bit and tilting his head on an angle. "Well get her down here." He said finally.

"Why?" Nico voiced the question before I could.

He gave us both meaningful looks. "Her dad requested a video conference."

Nico and I shared a shocked expression. "Her dad? As in, the scary Israeli dude?"

Chiron just rolled his eyes. "Do either of you have her cell phone number?"

Nico raised his hand and pulled out his own cell phone. "She gave it to me before she sent me back here." I grabbed his phone, punched in the numbers, and clicked call. "Could have just used my phone." Nico grumbled.

I shh'ed him at the same time a laughing female voice answered the phone. "Malach."

"Oh, sorry, wrong number." I started to pull the phone away from my ear when the voice called out again.

"Percy? Is that you?"

"Annabeth? Who's Malach?"

"That is not important, is there something you needed? How did you get this number?" Her voice was clear of any laughter previously in it.

"Now that, isn't important." I mocked her, then more seriously I said, "Chiron needs you."

"For what purpose?"

I took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "Your dad is requesting a video call with you."

There was silence on the other end for so long, I thought she had hung up. "We are on our way." Finally the line went dead.

I closed my cellphone. "She's on her way back down." I told Chiron. He nodded.

"Well, patch him through Jackson."

"But she's not here yet." Chiron raised his eyebrow at me. Not three seconds later Annabeth appeared next to me. I nearly wet my pants. "Whoa! How did you get down here so fast?"

"Not important, bring up my father." Annabeth ordered me stiffly. I sighed, walked over to my computer, and did as she asked. When the face of a man that looked like Annabeth-or that Annabeth looked like?-showed up, I turned my monitor around so it was aimed at her. "Aba." She greeted.

"Shalom Na-Annabeth." He spoke to the blond agent next to me. "Mazel tov, I suppose, on your new job. When were you going to inform me, hmm? You are an important member in your station."

Annabeth nodded and changed the subject. "Loir beat me here."

"Ah, yes. How is he doing? He has been out for almost two weeks on that darn mission, his reports were all the same; that he could not get in to do the deed just yet."

"Father," Annabeth closed her eyes. "He was here, in the CSI building, holding guns to my current co-workers heads. He kept saying we must finish what Noam started."

The man on my computer screen slammed his fist down. "I told him he could only continue if he could accept-" He didn't finish the sentence, looking to the side-angry.

Annabeth looked down "He did not."

"You killed him, yes?" he finally asked.

"Ken." Who the heck was Ken?

"Good." The man praised. Good? It's good that his son is dead? What kind of man is this? Telling his daughter he's glad she killed someone, and his son at that. Annabeth was right when she said her world wasn't for the kind hearted. "Is Calev with you still?"

"Ken." Caleb called from behind me. Ok, I'm beginning to think 'Ken' means something in Hebrew.

"Boy, get your ass over here! I have a new mission for you and-just you." Caleb nodded. He quickly kissed Annabeth on the cheek before rushing out the door. Annabeth's father said something in a different language to which she said that ken word again. "Farewell bat." The screen went blank.

"Did he just call you a bat?"

Annabeth sighed in annoyance. "Bat means daughter, mazel tov mean congratulations. Ken means yes, and aba means father. Did I cover everything?"

"Shalom?"

"Hello, good bye, peace. It depends on the context."

"What did he say before farewell?" Chiron asked.

"He told Caleb he had a new-"

"No," he interrupted her. "You know what I mean, Annabeth."

She sighed again, but not in annoyance this time. You know why? 'Cause she wasn't talking to me. Cue pout. "He simply asked me about living accommodations and such." Chiron nodded, either believing her or not pushing it. Chiron was the type of boss-or the type of guy-that didn't press you if he knew you didn't want to talk about it. Only if it didn't compromise a case or security, that is.

Suddenly an alarm went off. Annabeth walked over to her desk and pulled out her phone. She opened it and her face went pale. "Put my father back on!" She demanded.

"Wh-"

"Put my father back on!" She repeated, louder and more frantic than before. I put my hands up in surrender and did as she asked. When her father's image appeared once more, Annabeth went off. "Batu'ach, aba?" Oh great, she's talking in a different language again.

"Yihyeh beseder." Her father said, moving his hands downward, like he was trying to comfort her or at least calm her down.

"What are they saying?" I whispered to Nico. He shrugged with an equally confused face. They continued for several minutes, arguing back and forth in that language while we sat there, confused.

Finally came a word I recognized. "Shalom." I decided he probably wasn't saying hello, or peace, so that left goodbye. Annabeth muttered a response and slumped back in her chair.

We all stood there, looking at her; waiting for an answer. "Well?" I asked. What? I couldn't take the silence anymore!

My voice seemed to startle her, she looked up with a surprised expression; like she forgot we were there. Chiron walked over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Annabeth, what is it?"

"There...There is a group..." She sighed and shook her head. "There is a group of my fellow agents, back in Israel I mean, that believe I am a traitor for accepting this job."

"And?" My boss pushed.

"They want to kill me." Annabeth said in a monotone. She looked up at Chiron slowly.

"We aren't going to let them." He said firmly, squeezing her shoulder lightly.

"Chiron...they are highly trained in the weapons they use. They can hit targets more accurate than a computer program." Annabeth looked at him with sadness etched in her beautiful features- I mean features. Just, features.

"So can you." He argued.

"Touche." I whispered to Nico. He snickered under his breath.

"There is only one of me, there are ten of them."

"We may not be assassins," I cut in, walking over to stand in front of her desk. "We may not highly trained, but we're here for you, and we're not going to let you die."

Annabeth shifted her glance to all of us individually, probably looking for any hint we were actually planning to do the same thing. When she came to me, she held it for several moments. Her unusual stormy grey orbs locked to my normal boring green ones. Despite her stone cold exterior, her eyes showed fear; she was actually scared for her life and I got a feeling it was the first time she ever has been.

Chiron started talking again, but I wasn't paying attention. I was too entranced by Annabeth's eyes. The situation reminded me of a predator, aka Annabeth, luring its prey, aka me, by placing it in a almost hypnotized state before sinking its teeth in. She was looking intently at our boss which I was glad for, she would probably murder me for staring at her.

I was jarred away from my trance from sudden contact to my arms. I looked over to see Nico flaring his arms around, karate style. "I mean you're like the scary ninja assassin in the movies that no one sees until it's too late! No one can touch you!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes at my younger co-worker. "Even I am human Nico, however slightly." She muttered the last part to herself.

Nico went on his assault to my arms. I copied Annabeth's eye roll. "How old are you, 12 or 25?"

He finally stopped and frowned/glared at me. "27, thank you very much."

"So act like it then; this is serious." I turned to Annabeth. "How bad?"

She sighed and shook her head. "My father reported two shipments of ammo and weapons missing. Their carriers are the men coming to kill me."

Chiron took a sip of his coffee. "What kind of weapons, Annabeth?"

Annabeth played with her fingers and refused to look at any of us. "Machine guns. Heavy artillery."

"Rockets?" Nico asked, I noticed the shine in his eyes, like he was half hoping she would say yes.

"Thankfully no, not in these two shipments." Annabeth said with a hint of amusement, she saw the look too.

"Well, that's a good thing." Chiron rubbed his face tiredly. "Time for all of you to get to sleep. Annabeth, I'm stationing watches at your hotel. 24 hour shifts."

"Who, boss?" I asked while I gathered my stuff.

"Thanks for volunteering Percy, couldn't think of anyone better." I stopped dead in my tracks.

"You're kidding right?"

Chiron placed his hands on the back of his chair and smirked at me, which looked strange for the old man. "Now why would I do that?" He burst out laughing at me. "Relax, there will be someone monitoring cameras we're going to set up as well as an agent at all bottom floor entrances and exits."

I pulled my coat on, "So where will I be?"

"In the room with Annabeth." He grabbed his things and started to walk towards the door.

I opened my mouth to say something to him, but he had already left down the stairs. I closed my mouth and snuck a look at Annabeth. She wasn't looking at me, quietly grabbing her own stuff. I waited until she was ready and followed her to the parking garage. "Your car or mine." I asked her.

"I suppose yours would be the better option." Annabeth said solemnly.

"Why?" I asked as I lead her to my blue pickup truck.

"These men are not dumb, Percy. They know how to track someone down. They can receive the charges on my credit card, find my hotel as well as the dealership I rented the car from and then the licenses plate." I opened the passenger side door for her and she waited for me to sit down in the driver's side before continuing. "Shoot me when I step out. Simple as such."

"Well aren't you just a little Miss Debby Downer. Oh, and the phrase is 'simple as that' not such." I joked in hope to lighten her mood a bit, but it didn't really work as I thought it would.

"I am only stating facts, this is how we operate." See?

I muttered under my breath, so quietly I couldn't hear what I was saying, and pulled out on the street. I took the route from yesterday to her hotel. When I pulled up, the agent stationed at the front door came and escorted her in. He only let me in when I showed my I.D.

Annabeth placed her key in the door and led me in. "Stay at least two meters from me, and I will not have to kill you." She told me.

"How far?" I scratched my head, confused.

The blond haired Israeli stood from the corner where she was digging through her bag. She stood there for a second before continuing to rummage around for something. "6 feet. I am going to take a shower, stay here, and do not break anything."

I scoffed. "What makes you think that I'd break something?" She sent me a look and closed the door in my face. I sighed and slumped in the desk chair. Annabeth came out about 20 minutes later in only a towel.

"Oo, gunna put on a show for me, sweet cheeks?" I grinned at her. She glared sharply at me.

"I forgot my clothes." When she went back in the bathroom, she shut the door so violently that it opened again. Only a crack, but I was at the right angle that I could see though the crack just enough. I saw the towel fall from her upper torso to reveal the smooth, tan skin of her back.

I gulped heavily and looked away.

Annabeth walked out dressed in sweatpants and a large t-shirt, definitely out of character for her, but then again she was going to bed.

"So um-" I gulped again, not getting that image from before out of my head.

"I am going to bed." Annabeth climbed in bed and turned off the light, shrouding me in semi-darkness; the only light coming from the moon outside. There was just enough for me to see her slender form rising and falling gently. I sighed and replaced my butt in the desk chair, sipping from the coffee I had ordered when Annabeth was in the shower.

_This is going to be a long night. _I thought.

Just when I was sure Annabeth was asleep, her voice suddenly called from her bed; sharp and harsh. "If you ever watch me change again, I will cut off your manhood."

My eyes widened to the point of Bugsy from _Bedtime Stories _and I gulped for the ten hundredth time that evening; cupping said area protectively. At least I knew what was going to keep me up all night.


	7. Chapter 7

The night was quiet; I got reports in from those downstairs periodically, but other than that: nothing. Nico didn't even come in to relieve me like he was supposed to at 4.

So there I was, sitting in the same now uncomfortable desk chair, staring at the wall like it was the most interesting thing in the world. It kind of was, because staring at Annabeth got boring after the first few hours.

Speaking of Annabeth, at about 6am I heard the sheets ruffle and the light suddenly came on. I covered my eyes and let them adjust. "Geez, warn a guy before you do that."

"Sorry." She said, with no actual compassion or sorrow in her voice; it wasn't even groggy with sleep! How does she do that? Annabeth grabbed new clothes and walked into the bathroom; before she shut the door she sent me a look. I sent her a shy smile and she closed the door, I even heard the slight '_click_' of the lock. After I knew it was safe, I snickered.

When Annabeth emerged from the bathroom once more, I found myself speechless. She was wearing a camo vest with nothing underneath, revealing her navel and a darker shade of jeans. She raised her eyebrow at me and walked to a smaller bag next to the one with all her clothes in it. I watched as she strapped a gun to her hip and one to her upper thigh, a knife to the opposite ankle, and a third smaller gun on on her hip behind the knife.

"Why so many weapons?" I asked, still slightly entranced by the now revealed tan skin of her flat stomach.

"If you learn one thing from being my partner Percy," She stated, "Let it be 'always be prepared'."

I nodded, committing that piece of advice to memory. "Are you ready to go?"

Annabeth looked around the room like she was checking for something then sighed. "I suppose so." I stood up and walked to the door, opening it for her. As she passed me, she glanced at me sideways. "I am sorry you had to stay up so late."

I waved it off, "All part of the job, I didn't mind anyway." She raised her eyebrow at me as if asking _'You like staying up all night?' _I shrugged and waved my hand out the door.

Our ride to work was quiet, a kind of awkward silence that the radio helped dim. I switched it on. It took a second to recognize it, but when I did, I almost blushed. It was '_Just the Girl I'm looking for' _

In a way it was so Annabeth, like the line the singer just sung: _'She's cold and she's cruel but she knows what she's doing' _ Then there were ones like '_She laughs at my dreams but I dream about her laughter. Strange as it seems she's the one I'm after' _that made my cheeks kind of heat up. I mean, I haven't even heard her laugh yet! Now that I think about it, I haven't seen her smile yet either.

As more of the song went by, I found more lines that screamed Annabeth. _'She runs on 100 proof attitude power' ,'She's a mystery' ,'Knows just what to say so my whole day is ruined' _Everything else just made the sensors in my cheeks hot.

After two more songs, we arrived at work.

**Annabeth**

I thanked Percy for driving and sat down at my side of the desk. The desks were set up so there was one big unit shaped like two Ls. Percy had three computers in the corner closest to the elevator and I had the other corner with a similar set up.

Across from us was Nico and Chiron's desks, but they had two separate L desks, their backs to each other. I opened my drawer to get something to write with so I could start the surely boring paperwork I had to do, when I noticed something off. The drawer opened slower, like there was something stuck in the back. I leveled my eyes down so I could see into the desk.

I was right when I said there was something blocking its path, but what I wasn't exactly happy about. I grabbed Percy and Nico and ran to the other side of the room as quickly as I could. Nico could only get out the start of his sentence before the explosion shook the building.

"What the hell happened here?" Chiron's question rang through the now deadly quiet room.

I pushed Percy's body off of me and stood from my place against the wall. "I told you they want to kill me." Was all I said.

Suddenly, Rachel ran into the room with a frightened look on her face, "What happened?" Chiron tried to calm her, but she kept repeating her previous question. Finally he gave up and looked to me for answers.

"Common bomb rig, I was not supposed to find it until it blew me-and anyone within two and a half meters of me-to pieces, but I have used enough of those in my time to know one when I see it."

Rachel moved to hug me but I flinched away and she let her arms drop to her sides. "I'm never going to Israel!" She exclaimed.

"There are good things there." I offered. She sent me a skeptical look. "Ok, not many." I looked at Chiron to say something, but he was barking orders into his phone about locking down the building, interviewing all the cleaning crew and anyone that had access to the building last night, as well as the tape of last night's security cameras.

"Chiron," I called to get his attention. He turned to look at me. "No need for the cameras, I know who did this. If you line up all the cleaning members and others, I could identify them, should they still be here."

Chiron moved the phone so the receiver was against his neck, "We still need a face so we can put a bolo out."

"I can access my father's files and give you their information." I rolled my eyes. Americans just have to complicate things don't they?

My new boss opened and closed his mouth before turning and continuing to talk into his phone. I smiled with fake sweetness. "Annabeth!" Nico appeared in front of me, Percy came up next to me less enthusiastically than our younger co-worker. "You saved our lives….again!"

I allowed a real smile, he reminded me of Noam, and ruffled his hair. "Might as well get used to it."

"Are you alright?" Percy asked.

I did a quick check to make sure my knives hadn't stabbed me, as well as brushing off some dust from the explosion. "I am in one piece, and you?"

"I'm fine thanks to you." I nodded and snuck a look at my desk, or where it used to be. Nico and Chiron's desks seemed pretty unharmed while the half of Percy's desk that shared a side with mine was gone. Everyone else on our floor looked shaken up but other words fine.

"Hey, Annabeth," Chiron put his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye. "Are you alright?"

"Chiron, I get shot at and blown up every day, I am fine." He didn't look convinced. "Really."

Reluctantly he accepted and let me go. "I'm doubling up your protection." Before I could protest, he walked away. I sighed irritably. "I'll get you a new desk so you can start on that case report, don't worry." My sigh turned to a groan, Percy and Nico snickered. "What are you two laughing about? You're desks are fine. Get to work."

Our roles reversed as they sulked to their desks and to the stacks of paper that waited for them. I followed and sat on the front of Percy's desk. After a few minutes Percy looked up at me. "Can I help you?"

"No." Percy threw his arms up and shook his head.

"Don't patronize your partner, Jackson." Chiron scolded as he walked past. Percy stuttered and opened and closed his mouth. "Come on, we got a crazy mom whose daughter was abducted on an Army base." I happily followed him out, glad to get out of the dreaded tree material work.

While Percy and Nico were trying to get a lead on anything in the house, I was trying to calm the extremely frantic woman in the front lawn. "Ma'am, you must calm down so we can help find your daughter!" She continued to rant and spaz about needing to find her. I took her by the shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Mrs. Peters, you must calm down."

There were a few moments where she stared at me like I was a witch about to hex her- frightened-before the woman in front of me seemed to calm considerably. "Now, my name is agent Chase, do you mind answering some questions for me?"

The brown haired woman nodded and sniffled. "Wh-what do you want to know?"

"When did you notice your daughter had disappeared?" I started.

"About…30 minutes ago." She sniffled again.

I handed her a tissue and continued. "How long have you been home?"

"All day, today was my day off."

"How did you not hear the glass breaking and her screams?"

Mrs. Peters wrung her hands and looked down at the ground. "I…I was watching T.V, it must have been too loud."

I rolled my eyes when she wasn't looking and scoffed. "Mmhm, now the truth?"

She looked up at me, guilt prominent in her eyes, but said nothing. The brunette in front of me merely stood there with her mouth a gape and her eyes flashing over every inch of my face. I sent her a look that said 'Tell me now, or else.' Finally she broke, crying into her hands.

I sighed and looked at the house, watching Percy, Nico, and Chiron through the windows; waiting for her to stop. Then to the three agents standing around me as protection. After 5 minutes went by, and yes I was keeping track, she dammed the river of tears enough to answer. "My husband has been gone a long time agent Chase!" Mrs. Peters took another slice out of my patience by letting another wave of crying wrack her body. "You of all people should know that a woman has needs."

"So you had an affair," I summed up, before I could continue she interrupted me.

"When you say it like that…"

I took my turn to interrupt her and continued. "…and while you were _fulfilling your needs, _your daughter was abducted." I had to resist the urge to pull my knife on her as she started crying again. "What is his name, the man you are sleeping with?"

"A-Anthony, Anthony Smith. His wife is on a business t-trip, he had needs and-and-. It was after he left when I went in to check on Madison and-and she was g-gone."

"Would anyone want to take your daughter?"

"No, no one, Madison got along with everyone!" The previously crying woman smiled fondly at the memory.

"I mean, have you made any enemies that would want to get back at you by taking your daughter." I clarified.

Mrs. Peters shook her head. "No I…I get along with everyone I know on base. The others I don't know, well I say hi to them as they pass by, and they don't show any ill feelings towards me that I can see."

"Anyone outside of base?" She hesitated, but shook her head once more. I noticed Chiron waving me over. I excused myself and jogged up to him. "Yes?"

"How's she doing?" He asked, nodding to Mrs. Peters.

"As well as one in her location can be."

"Place," Percy corrected as he walked up to us. "Chiron, the window was broken from the outside, there's blood on it as well as the bed."

"Get samples to the lab, you got anything else?"

Percy shrugged. "We swabbed stuff, and Nico is going to get a blood sample from Mrs. Peters."

Chiron sighed, "Alright, head back to the office, I gotta clean up some stuff around here."

Percy held his hand out for the keys to the car. Chiron pulled them out of his pocket and handed them to me. The black haired man beside me glared at me as I slid into the driver's seat. "Aw, did Chiron let air out of your ego?"

"Deflate, the phrase is 'did he deflate your ego'." He grumbled.

I shrugged and started up the car, driving past the police cars and on lookers to get to the main road. "Same thing. What did Chiron mean when he said he had to 'clean up some things'?" I asked.

"He means send the police home, calm the neighbors, that kind of stuff." Percy answered me, his previous sourness gone.

"Ah." I nodded and silence filled the car; the only sound coming from the engine. Percy leaned forward and turned on the radio. The line of a song came on. _'A new soul, in this very strange world' _Percy started snickering. "What is so amusing?" I asked.

"This song, it's basically you." I listened to a bit more of the song. _'Finding myself making every possible mistake'_ I scoffed and punched him in the shoulder.. "Well not that line." He muttered under his breath while he rubbed the sore area.

For the rest of the drive he didn't comment on any more songs.

I was sitting on Percy's desk cleaning the underside my nails with my knife when Rachel came over to us. "Hey guys." She greeted. "So I tested Mrs. Peters' blood, the blood on the window, and the sample from the bed. First off, the blood on the bed is different than the blood on the window. Second, her blood had traces of cocaine in it, but it wasn't freshly inhaled."

"So the person who broke the window cut themselves on it, and Madison was hit with fragments." I mused. "Is it possible it is Anthony Smith?"

"Nico, how close are you to finding him?" Chiron asked, choosing not to answer my question.

Nico shook his curly hair. "There isn't an Anthony Smith in that base."

No one said anything, trying to think of a reason to why that would be. Suddenly I got an idea. "Check those discharged already." I told him, walking over to his desk and looking over his shoulder.

He did as I asked and ran the name though the discharged air force personnel. "Hey you were right, Anthony Smith, Airmen first class was dishonorably discharged for possession of illegal drugs."

"Does it say which drug?" Percy asked, finally adding something to the conversation.

Nico nodded. "Cocaine."

"Current address?" Chiron inquired. Percy raised his hand. Chiron looked at me as if he was saying_ 'You see what I have to deal with?'_ "Yes Jackson?"

"He lives in an apartment complex a few miles from the base."

"Good, take Nico and check it out." I frowned but said nothing, sitting down in Percy's now vacant seat. "Annabeth, go question Mrs. Peters about the cocaine."

I nodded and stood, walking down the hall to the interrogation room she was being held in. "Shalom Mrs. Peters." I greeted.

"Sh-what?"

"Shalom, it means hello. I apologize; I am not completely use to America yet." I sat down across her.

She smiled at me, "Oh yeah? Where are you from?"

The excitement in her voice made my expression soften a bit. "I am from Israel."

"That's amazing; I've always been interested in the Middle East ever since Joe's first tour in Iraq."

I nodded, "I have a few more questions for you Mrs. Peters."

"Only if you call me Kelly." I chuckled dryly.

"Well Kelly, we found traces of cocaine in your blood. Do you want to tell me about that?"

The smile was wiped off her face faster than jet taking off, and she looked down. "I um, had a hard time during college. A friend said his secret was these energy pills, and gave me some. They ended up having cocaine in them. I was so mad when I found out but by then, I was addicted.

He gave me the name of a guy who could get me more and…I took it up. When I met Joe, he helped me quit." Suddenly her smile came back. "Then I got pregnant with Madison and I couldn't let her be a crack baby, so I had an even stronger need to stay clean."

"How did your provider feel about that?" Kelly put her head in her hands. "He did not take it well, did he?" She shook her head. "Do you think it would be a motive to take Madison?"

"No I…I quit 10 years ago, when I first got pregnant. If he was going to do it, he would have sooner."

I scratched my head. "Records say you have only been married 8 years."

"Yes," she nodded. "It was during Joe's first deployment that I found out. We got married after he got back."

"Two years is a long time away, yes?"

"You have no idea agent Chase." Kelly laughed dryly.

I nodded with a slight smile. "You may call me Annabeth."

"Annabeth," She smiled at me. "That's a beautiful name."

I nodded in thanks, even if it wasn't my real name, "Then why now? Did you go back to drugs? Decide it was wrong and cut off from your dealer. He would not like being played twice would he?" The brunette in front of me stuttered intelligently so I continued. "What is his name?"

"I-I can't-"

"Kelly," I stopped her. "Do you want your daughter back, or not?"

"Yes! of course!"

"Then tell me, his name."

* * *

><p><strong>I wanna thank a reviewer of mine, ChildOfWisdom (I hope I got that right), for reviewing every chapter and giving me the push to keep updating. Because if those of you who are reading the story, it doesn't have a ton of reviews. SO thanks again :) <strong>

**Always yours,**

**~Arty**


	8. Chapter 8

**Percy**

"We in the right place, Perce?" Nico asked.

I checked my phone, which had the address and apartment number on it. "Yup, this is the place." We walked in and took the elevator to the 5th floor, beginning our search for our guy.

When we finally got there, Nico knocked on the door. It creaked open. We shared a look and pulled out our guns. I gave a nod and he pushed open the door, entering the room with me close on his heels. We stood in the living room when I heard talking in the kitchen. I put my finger up to my lips and nodded at the closed door.

Nico and I stood at either side of the door. I pulled out my cell phone, hit record, and then I listened in to their conversation.

"I'm not a patient man, Anthony." A male voice snarled.

"I-I know. I'll get the money, I swear." A second stuttered, obviously scared. I moved my phone closer to the door.

"Yeah you better; you owe me a grand Smith. You bring the money to warehouse 27 at noon tomorrow or else; because if I have to pay _your _debt, you won't like the outcome."

"Warehouse 27? On which base?"

I could hear the animistic growl of annoyance that came out of the first man's throat. "The base your girlfriend's on! Oh and by the way, did you knock her up yet?"

"N-no."

"Damn, I could have used that as leverage."

"What about Madison?" The second voice, Anthony, questioned.

"Who's Madison?" My unknown male said, trying to act innocent.

"You know who she is!" Anthony roared.

I looked over at Nico, he shared the same look. "Oh yes, your girlfriend owes me a pretty penny as well. She's four weeks overdue on her payment. Maybe this will get her to…quicken her pace."

"Where is she? Is she alright? What are you doing to her!"

"Relax, Mr. Smith, your little friend is doing just fine. She'll be even better when you bring me my money, and make sure Kelly comes with her dough too or she dies." Suddenly I heard shuffling coming towards us. I ducked behind moving boxes, Nico behind the couch.

After a few minutes I poked my head out to make sure it was clear before standing up. "Holy shit!" A man yelled. "Take anything you want just don't hurt me!"

I walked out from behind the boxes and pulled out my I.D. "Special agent Jackson, CSI; are you Anthony Smith?"

"Look man, I didn't know it was stolen, I swear!"

I looked at Nico and rolled my eyes. "We're not here to arrest you...yet. We just need to ask you some questions."

He looked up at us apprehensively through his black bangs that came down to just over his eyes. The rest of his hair was in a crazy mop, not sexy-messy like mine, but like crazy person messy. His clothes looked like they came straight out of the dumpster, and he smelled like he personally went down there to get them. I held my breath as best I could while I talked to him. "Do you know a woman by the name of Mrs. Kelly Peters?"

Anthony leaned back into the couch with his arms folded over his chest. "No, what's it to ya?"

I nodded and looked down, fiddling with my backpack that was sitting in front of me while trying to keep a smile from my features; of course failing, I've been told I'm easily amused. This guy was making it hard not to laugh as he attempted to look like a badass.

"So who's Madison?" Surprise and worry crept their way onto his face. I pushed him and asked again.

"She's my girlfriend's daughter alright!"

Nico handed him a picture of Kelly. "This her?" He nodded. "That is Kelly Peters."

"No!" He slammed his hand against his thigh. "That's my girlfriend Kelly Simmons. She ain't married, not anymore. Madison is from her first marriage!"

I smacked Nico on the chest. "And we were under the impression she was someone else."

He chuckled. "So what do you think she was doing on an Airforce base?"

Anthony paused. "She's in the Airforce."

"She has no record of ever being in service, you know why Tony? Can I call you Tony? Because her name is Kelly Peters, she is the wife of a Pilot-Joe Peters-who is currently stationed in Iraq. You're girlfriend isn't who she says she is."

"Ever think she isn't who she tells_ you _she is!" Tony exclaimed, but I could tell he was hesitating, like he was almost believing me; or at least starting to consider she lied to him.

I let Nico deliver the blow, I've never been good with telling people their loved ones were dead, or in this case, didn't even exist in the first place. "We ran prints, DNA, we didn't get a Kelly Simmons."

Nico and I shared a look when he collapsed into his hands; muttering incoherent sentences about he knows what. He didn't cry though, he didn't cry. "Tell us about your friend." Nico changed the subject. "Why do you owe him so much money?"

Tony looked up and shook his head; trying to clear his head. When he was finally ready, he scratched the back of his neck, embarrassment replaced his anguish. "I uh...have a gambling problem and borrowed money from him."

"I assume that means Kelly does too? Or is the 'pretty penny' she owes him for something else?" Suddenly my phone went off. "Keep going." I told Nico and walked outside the apartment to answer it. "Talk to me."

"Do you really answer your phone like that?" The familiar female voice teased though the connection.

I nearly face-palmed. "Annabeth this better be important!"

"Well, Mr. Impatient." She scoffed offended-ly. I rolled my eyes. _'So sensitive.'_ I thought but didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue. "Peters admitted to buying from a drug dealer on base. She said Anthony introduced her."

"Let me guess, warehouse 27."

"Um, yes." I could hear the curiosity in her voice as to how I knew that, as well as caution. "What information did you extract from Smith?"

"Well, when we got here he was talking to a guy. He said Anthony owed him a grand and Kelly owed a 'pretty penny', but didn't say for what; just a threat to pay it tonight at warehouse 27."

"That must have been the drug dealer! Did he see you? Did you get a good look at him? A name?" Annabeth pumped out questions like rapid fire.

"Whoa whoa whoa, calm down there speedy." I waved my hands around like she could actually see me attempting to calm her down. "No, no, and no; unfortunately. Nico and I were hiding behind furniture so we weren't seen."

I heard her sigh quietly from the other end. "I suppose that was a good idea Percy. Now that you know, go get more information out of Smith." With that she hung up. I pulled my phone away from my ear, staring at it for a moment before smiling and entering the apartment once more.

"So Mr. Smith." I said dramatically, sitting down in the couch again. "Tell me about your gambling addiction again."

"I uh, keep thinking that the next slot will be the jackpot, ya know?" Tony rubbed his hands together, almost greedily. "I've spent almost all life savings-"

"You don't have a gambling problem." I stopped him short. I don't have a long attention span, I didn't want to sit through him lying to us about non-existent gambling. "That man you owe money to, what do you really owe him for?" I could have said I knew it was for drugs, but I wanted him to say it.

When he looked up at me, his eyes dulled. "I don't know his name, I just know he sells out of warehouse 27. I got Kelly hooked, I was so stupid to get her involved again." He started hitting himself on the head repeatedly. Nico jumped up and restrained his hands.

"Hey, calm down Tony." I stood.

"No! It's all my fault!" He struggled against Nico, but a word about Nico, he's really strong. Not like, douche or body builder buff, but strong enough to hold down a grown man shot on cocaine. I took out my handcuffs, Nico shifted so I could get them around his wrists, and we led him out of the apartment.

I pulled my phone out and hit re-dial. As it rang, I watched the trees fly by from the passenger seat; finally she answered. "Malach."

"Ok, who is Malach?" I was going to get the answer this time.

"Percy, what do you want?" She sounded irritated.

I shook my finger in the air, even though I knew she couldn't see it. "Oh no, you're not getting away with it this time. Who's Malach?"

"I am hanging up now." Came her reply.

I had a quick battle in my head, deciding the case was more important than her phone greeting, I stopped her. "Alright, alright. We're on our way back with Smith."

"Why?"

I laughed. "Why? Why? Because we need to question him when he's not high on coke! Also so we can wire him for tonight."

"One can get high from a beverage?" Annabeth asked.

I sighed. "No Annabeth, 'coke' is another way of saying cocaine."

"Then why did you not just say cocaine?"

"Its a street-" I stopped and sighed, it wasn't worth the time to try to explain it to her. "Never mind. So you haven't been blown up again since we left, have you?"

Finally I got her to let out a small laugh. "No, perhaps their real target is not me, but you. Understandable."

"Understandable?" I scoffed. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." I opened my mouth to rebuttal, but the line went dead. I fake glared at my phone.

"That was a very strange conversation from my end." Nico commented.

I rolled my eyes. "Eyes on the road would ya!" I said, even though he hadn't taken his eyes off said pavement. He laughed but said nothing and the rest of the ride to the office was spent in a comfortable semi-silence with the radio as a background sound.

~~~Ignore the pretty page break~~~

I stared out the hotel window that night. I was on security detail again, but I didn't really mind; it gave me a chance to think and clear my head. Who needs sleep right?

The bust went by the book and we caught the dude, Marco Richardo, who the two owed money to. He wasn't a huge drug dealer, he only had about a dozen customers, but at least he was off the streets before he could become a big one.

But there was one thing that ate at me, where was Madison? She wasn't at the warehouse, and Marco says he's never heard of her until Smith started frantically asking about her; he only went along to use whoever she was as leverage. He passed his polygraph, so we could only bust him for the drugs. We checked his customers, they were all clean. It's like she basically disappeared!

In an act of frustration, I hit the wall then rested my forehead against it.

"We are missing something." I nearly jumped out of my socks at her soft comment.

"Yeah, when we rush me to the hospital because of a heart attack!" I whisper yelled at her.

The moon was on the end of it's cycle, so it was darker than normal, and I could barley see her form as it rose to a sitting position. "I am turning on the light." She told me.

I closed my eyes and waited for the light under my eyelids to open them again. "Thanks for warning me." I smiled at her.

She nodded in return and continued talking. "She did not just," She moved her hands in a bomb explosion. "Poof."

"Well no, humans don't go 'poof'." She gave me a look like 'I bet I could make one go poof'. "Normally."

"And mostly children," The blond stood and started pacing in front of me.

"Where could she go?" I wondered while trying not to oogle her body through the small tank top and short shorts she had worn to bed tonight. "It's not like she could get very far."

"Oh, and why not?" Annabeth stopped for a moment and turned to face me.

"Well, she's 8 for one thing, and I don't know how you get around in Israel, but you need money here or you're not getting very far." I told her.

She humphed at the idea. "For then, where could she be being kept? Or would she run for herself? Then where would she go? A relative?"

"I doubt she could get out of base, but then again, they let in a drug dealer and a drug addict in, so I'm not exactly confident in their system..." I mumbled the last bit to myself.

"She was indeed kidnapped then." Annabeth stated, but it was a kind of statement that demanded an answer and explanation.

I nodded, not wanting to find out what happened if I didn't answer. "I don't think it had to do with anything with the drug dealer or..." My voice trailed off.

I felt Annabeth's arm rub up against mine as I stared down the window. "Why did you stop?" She asked.

I pointed down. Below us, several men were unloading boxes, but that's not what stopped me. Two of the four of them had large guns, it was hard to see what kind. All I could really see was it was big and automatic; not something you want to be staring down the barrel of. "I told you." Annabeth mumbled.

"Told me what?" I asked without taking my eyes off the four men.

"That they would find me."

"Oh I never doubted you on that." I told her, finally pulling my gaze away and looking to the side at her. "Just didn't think they'd be that quick."

"Never underestimate your opponent." She said, almost subconsciously, as she watched the men below us.

"What do you think is in the boxes?" I changed the subject. "More weapons?"

Annabeth shook her head. "C4."

"How do you know?"

She raised her eyebrows at me. "Israelis like to blow things up, but it is more of a...last choice than a direct approach."

I scratched my head. "So why are they unloading it now?"

"Like I said, it is a last choice. They are most likely going to try to shoot me first, but if it does not work," She gestured down. "They will blow the hotel up."

"Last resort." I corrected. "When do you think they're going to try to shoot you?"

"I do not know exactly, but I would guess soon. We do not like to wait, almost like your attention problem."

I looked at her in shock. "Attention problem? I do not have an attention issue!"

Annabeth laughed. She actually laughed! It was contagious and I found myself laughing with her even though she was laughing at me.

"Aw, I missed the joke, yes?"

* * *

><p><strong>So who's the mystery voice belong too? O,o<strong>

**I hate to inform y'all you will have to wait a week before you find out. I'm going out of state to do some volunteer work during spring break, so I can't update.**

**Always yours,**

**~Arty**


	9. Chapter 9

**Annabeth**

I turned around at the familiar voice. Standing at the door, an AK-47 tucked under his arm, was Adar Kahn. Adar was the leader of his weapons specialist team. He had curly black hair like Nico-only untamed-and a dark tan complication. He was two years older than me, and Lior's best friend.

I glanced at my pillow where I kept a gun, then to my backpack where the other two were. They were both too faraway to get to before he unleashed enough rounds to kill the whole CSI personal building.

I settled on snarling at him. "What are you doing here, Adar?"

"You never were one to give a warm welcome." He smirked at me and walked closer to us. "However, it's not needed, you are coming with me."

"Over my dead carcass." I snarled back.

"Body." Percy whispered.

"What?"

"The phrase is 'over my dead body'." I glared at him. "Sorry."

Adar chuckled a dark laugh. "How cute. Now, come peacefully or against your will."

I started weighing my options in my head, sorting through plans and execution to get us out of the situation. I was brought out of my thoughts by another one of Adar's orders. "Come or I put lead in his head."

I let out a breath and started walking slowing towards him, not too fast to make him think I was trying to get one of my weapons or attack him. No matter how much I wanted to slice his throat.

"That's what I thought." When I reached him, he stepped behind me and handcuffed my hands. I expected him to lead me out of the door, but he pushed me towards it then walked to Percy. I turned just in time to see him knock my partner in the back of the head with the butt of a hand gun and his body fall limp to the floor.

"Percy!" I started to him to help but Adar put his gun to his head. I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Ah uh. Stay over there." He produced another pair of handcuffs and wrapped them around Percy's wrists. After he rummaged through my bag and pocket my knives and guns. He broke the blades of all the knives and tossed them away, grabbing all the guns. "Alright, get moving."

"What about Percy?" I asked, stubbornly not moving.

Adar sighed and rolls his eyes. He threw Percy over his shoulder as if he were a doll, then motioned me out the door with the AK. Reluctantly, I went along. Even I knew when not to fight back.

I clenched my jaw as I was led out the back door and into an large, unlabeled, white cargo van. Adar shoved me in and threw Percy in shortly after. He landed on top of me with a groan. The doors slammed shut and left us in darkness.

"Percy." I tried to wiggle away from him, but he was heavy. Not that he was fat, he's just more muscle and mass than I was able to lift.

"Ughhh," He groaned again. "Wh...Where are we?"

"In a van on our way to their headquarters." I grunted. "Also, you are currently crushing me."

"Huh?" He shifted so he could look at me, his face dangerously close to mine. "Oh, I'm sorry." He struggled to move off of me and I sat up when he finally had.

We sat in silence for 10s of minutes, Percy shifting and turning the whole time-never staying still. "So uh...why do you think they're bringing us to their headquarters? You think it'll be like the movies?"

"What?"

"You know, like in the movies, where the bad-guys draw on and on about you betraying Israel while you secretly get out of your handcuffs and kick their butts just as they're about to kill you!"

I rolled my eyes into the darkness and tried to make myself as comfortable as I could for the rest of the ride. "I do not think it will be like the movies. They are most likely bringing us there so they will not have to dump our bodies and can make a quick get away."

A silence followed and I could sense he was pouting. He must have really been hoping for the movie's ending. "But you can get out handcuffs, right?" When I didn't say anything, the faint glow of his teeth became visible through the dark van. "I knew it. I really should have started in Mossad, I could'a learned all this cool stuff!"

I sighed. "It is not everything you think it is." I told him, my voice not much above a whisper.

Percy laughed, not picking up on my hints. "Oh yea? You know all these wicked moves and tricks that makes our police force look like toddlers!"

I sent him a cross look if he could see it or not. "Yes, but they make you use them to kill, torture, and in the males' case-rape, innocent people. Do you still think it is as amazing as you thought it was?"

Percy's shifting stopped and the van was silent except the sound of the wheels racing across the road. I sat up and crawled over to him, the handcuffs sitting-forgotten-where I use to be. Slumping against the wall he was sitting next to, I picked the lock on his cuffs. Might as well be comfortable while we can.

Percy rubbed his wrists. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, like, spark bad memories or anything." I felt his hand wrap around mine in attempt to comfort me. I gave his hand a squeeze to tell him it was alright but otherwise said nothing.

We rode like that the rest of the ride, which was about an hour, our hands interlaced and sitting close together. For some reason, I allowed my head to slump to his shoulder. I was almost asleep when the van came to a stop and I heard voices outside. I jumped up to quickly help Percy back into his cuffs before putting my own on. The door opened and I had to turn away from the sudden bright light.

"Shalom, again, both of you." Adar's yellow smile greeted us. I snarled in disgust. "Come, now."

Percy jumped down and I followed after reluctantly. Two familiar men walked up next to us as we walked into the warehouse. One of the men led me to two pipes running down from the ceiling. He handcuffed my hands separately to both poles in addition to the previous pair.

Paranoid much?

They should be.

The other man moved Percy so he was next to Adar. "My boy," He placed a hand on his shoulder. I struggled against my bonds and the guard next to me held me at my shoulders. I looked up at him with my best evil glare when suddenly, I recognized him.

"Ravid." I breathed. His chocolate brown eyes sparked with joy at my recollection.

"Shalom Navah." He whispered my real name. I shuttered at his breath over my ear.

"Oh, isn't that sweet?" Adar nudged Percy to our direction. "Two lovers reuniting." Ravid smiled proudly down at me. He was much taller than me, close to 25 centimeters. I looked away from him. "You know, they were the cutest couple. Lior and I would tease them anytime they were together." Adar told him.

I looked up at Percy. He was watching us with interest, like this was all one big history lesson. Adar called for a gun in Hebrew to someone I couldn't see in the back of the warehouse. A gun fell from one of the rafters and he caught it easily.

Adar held the hand gun up to Percy's head. "Sorry my friend."

He cocked it and placed it right next to his temple. I wrestled with the metal that held me in place violently, bruising my wrists no doubt. "No!" I yelled.

"Oh? You are correct. He has done nothing to upset us." Suddenly the gun was pointed at me. "You are the one we came to-"

"No!" Percy copied my previous outburst, taking it one step farther and kicking the pistol out of his hand and across the room. It fired at the wall upon impact with the floor.

Rubbing his hand, Adar smiled at the raven haired man. "Hm. Do I sense something between the two of you? Ravid, you have some competition!"

I mentally groaned. Honestly, Adar thought he was cupid, he set Ravid and I up and before he sent me on several blind dates with his colleagues.

Percy's face flushed and I looked at a suddenly very interesting crack in one of the far walls; starting to pick the lock on the handcuff that was on my left hand, having already undone the ones that held both my hands from the van.

Adar clasped his hands together in excitement. "Sorry Rav, looks like she's over you." I moved to glare at him. I could feel the hurt look Ravid was sending me, and I didn't want to face it.

So I did the rational thing and didn't.

I swung my now released hands and made contact with the side of Ravid's head. His head had so much momentum, it hit the left pole I use to be chained to. He was knocked out instantly and fell to the ground. One of the other guards ran at me. At the last second I moved to the side and jumped on his back; wrapping my handcuffs around his neck.

I waited until he was oxygen deprived to make him pass out instead of strangling him to death, I didn't need a murder charge on my third day in America, and let him fall to the ground.

Three more large structured men ran out, two with automatic guns while the other carried an ammo box. I ran and tackled Percy behind a crate. Grabbing the gun he had kicked before, I checked it's ammo holder. It had five rounds left.

After quickly undoing his handcuffs, I took a deep breath and stood from the sitting position, ready to run out. Percy grabbed my upper arm before I could.

"Where are you going? They'll kill you!" He whispered frantically, trying to pull me back.

"If I stay, they will kill you too," I met his gaze. "This is not your fight. Let me go." He held my eyes for a moment more and let go. I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you." I whispered. I turned and ran out into the line of fire.

Ravid and the second guard were still out cold, and the three others started firing at me while Adar watched from behind. His arms crossed and a frown on his face. I was just a meter away from a protective crate when a sharp pain erupted in my leg. Both my legs gave out from under me and slid on my back behind the crate for a second. I gritted my teeth as I crawled to the other side.

Bullet rounds were being fed into their weapons as they continued to shoot at me. I revealed just enough of myself so I could take aim and shoot the ammo box on the ground between them. The impact and some of the bullets going off made the shooters duck out of the way.

Four rounds. Four men.

I raised the gun and aimed at their hearts, but something held me back. I shifted my aim to the right and took the shot at their shoulders, at least so they couldn't shoot. When they were immobilized I limped over, took one of the autos, and kicked the other away. I moved the barrel to Adar's heart. He was gripping his right shoulder as blood seeped out.

He straightened up. "Very clever," We stared at each other for a moment, deadly quiet. "But not clever enough." As quick as a whip, he pulled out a hand gun from his back pocket, probably one of mine. He sent a bullet through my left shoulder. Almost out of reflex, I pulled the trigger on the auto as I fell. The 47 launched close to 20 rounds through Adar's stomach.

I fell to floor, clutching my shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the long update guys, I forget if I mentioned it in the last update but I spent my spring break down in the IndianaKentucky border cleaning up after the tornadoes that hit the region during the first week of March, so I apologize for not updating.**

**Reviews make my day**

**Yours always,**

**~Arty**


	10. Chapter 10

"Annabeth," Percy tried to turn me over and my body screamed in protest.

"Percy! Annabeth!" Nico and Chiron's voices rang through the warehouse. Nico turned the corner with flashlight and gun raised. He took in the sight and called back to Chiron, then went to check the pulses of Ravid as well as the second man. When he reached us, he flashed his light over the other bodies.

They groaned with the sudden light. Nico gasped at me and frantically called to our boss again. Said greying man rushed around the corner and ran to us. Percy helped me up, wrapped an arm around my waist and forced my good arm around his. I tried to push him off, insisting I could walk on my own, but he wasn't buying it.

I sighed and let him. We didn't get farther than five feet before Percy picked me up bridal style, claiming it as quicker, and continued out of the open door we had come in through. I felt useless just laying in his arms, so I tried to pass the time by bugging Percy.

I leaned up and kissed what was exposed of his neck. When my lips brushed over a certain part on his neck, his jaw clenched. I smirked and kissed it again. Percy's Adams Apple quivered. Gaining great amusement out of this, I nipped lightly and Percy almost dropped me.

Chuckling lowly under my breath, I stopped-mainly because we were approaching an ambulance. A man and a woman dressed in light blue helped Percy lower me onto a gurney. They primitively wrapped my wounds before pushing me into the back of the van.

I heard Chiron and Percy talking as the woman hooked me up to a bunch of machines that somehow all fit into the small space of the back of this van. "Stay with her, Jackson." Chiron said, "We'll handle the hotel." I knew Percy must have told him about the men and the C4 from the hotel before we were kidnapped-or adult napped?

Percy jumped in as the lady in blue was shutting the door. He smoothed back some of my hair and took my right hand. He said nothing the whole ride.

**~~~~Ignore The Pretty Page Break~~~~**

I played with one of the straps on my sling, bored to no tomorrow, as I waited for someone-anyone-to come through the door. Suddenly I got my wish.

A nurse wheeled in my roommate. I smiled at the 8 year old girl. "Alright Madison, you're healing great! I'll be back in a few hours with your lunch."

"Shalom Madison," I greeted her.

"Shalom!" She responded with excitement. I've been teaching her Hebrew, upon her request, for the last two weeks while be both recovered. Madison had been beaten while she was kidnapped by a predator of the sexual kind, completely unrelated to our investigation. He had to have been planning it, but we-being Nico since he tracked down the guy from the DNA match of the blood on the window-only found Madison who had received a compound break to her leg. Fortunately she hadn't been raped, but she did need surgery and had been conveniently placed in my room for recovery.

"Hakol beseder?" I asked. _Everything ok?_

She thought for a second before responding. "Ein be'ayot!" _No problems._

I chuckled. "Tov." _Good._ Madison smiled proudly.

"I'm missing something here." Percy walked in with both my bags.

"I have been teaching her Hebrew. Why did you bring my bags?" I acquired hopefully.

Percy smiled knowingly and handed me my small weapons bag. "The agency replaced all your sharp things, not very willingly by the way, some of these were really expensive."

I smiled, fondly running a hand over the blade of my Kris dagger. The 8 inch, stainless steel blade curved with nine waves signifying how old I was when I got it, and a horse carved where I normally place my index finger on the underside of the blade. On the top side, the blade extended back, almost as if it were protecting my hand. The blade itself was sharper than a Persian sword.

I gripped the hand carved ivory handle, especially made for my hand and my initials carved into the butt, the details of the hilt were laced with gold. "I know." Maddy giggled and Percy rolled his eyes, taking the knife out of my hand. I glared at him. "Any other time, and you would be short a right hand. That is mostly for show anyway."

"Why where there blood stains on the first one then?" He asked, looking it over.

"I never said I did not use it."

"Um...right," Percy gently placed it on the bedside table, like it would explode at any moment. "And besides, this isn't one of those times," He leaned down so his face was right next to mine. "Is it?"

"Am I interrupting something? Again?" A laugh broke out from the doorway.

Percy straightened up and smiled sarcastically. "Like I told you the last five times, no you didn't."

"Well good." She walked over to my bed and moved the bags off to check the monitors. My doctor was named Emily French. She was in her late 30s with dark black hair and bright blue eyes, as well as laughing lines. I think she got most of them from interrupting moments like that during the past fortnight.

"I have brought good news, Annabeth," She smiled at me. "You're being let out of the joint today."

"Really?" I asked and sat up. Dr. French lightly pushed me back down while chuckling.

"Yes. That's why I had your boyfriend bring a change of clothes for you. Now, when he leaves, we'll get you changed and outta here." Percy turned a nice shade of red at her comment.

The black haired and now red faced man stood. He leaned over and placed a small kiss on my forehead before promptly leaving. Emily let out a few more chuckles as she closed my curtain that surrounded the bed.

Sighing, I slipped out of bed with some difficulty. My leg protested and my shoulder was sore. When Adar shot me, he was using his left hand, and Adar is as good with his left hand like an elephant is at being quiet. The bullet did graze my clavicle, and a dinged clavicle hurts like hell, but other words missed major arteries and other important crap that's in your shoulder.

My leg wasn't so lucky, the Škorpion 61 they shot me with used a 18mm full metal jacket. It took a chunk out of my leg as it passed by. Muscle cells take a while to heal, so I still need to come back for treatment to replace my scar tissue and whatever else it is Dr. French told me about.

Much to my displeasure, Chiron was forcing me to learn to write in English during my recovery time. I mean, I love learning new things-when I was younger you couldn't get my nose out of a book when I wasn't training, you still can't-but I'm not so thrilled about my teacher.

Chiron told Percy, to teach me.

I think he wants to punish me.

I took off my sling and grabbed a light grey tank top from my bag; ignoring the agitated signals the nerves in my shoulder were sending to my brain.

"Annie," Madison's voice piped from the other side of the curtain.

"Yes, hun?" I answered subconsciously as I tried to decide between jeans and shorts.

"Is that guy really your boyfriend?" I stopped and thought about it. Honestly I did not know where we stood on that level. Yes, he visited me every day for the last two weeks, yes, he held my hand the whole time, and yes, he kissed me on the cheek or forehead before he left, but was that just him being sympathetic because he couldn't help me? Chiron's orders...or more?

I sighed and slipped a pair of running shorts under the chunky, black boot that immobilizes my leg. "Ani Lo Yoda'at, Maddy." _I don't know Maddy. _

"He should be."

"Great, an eight year old is giving me dating advice." I mumbled to myself.

"Good advice, and you should take it!" Her smug reply came.

I pushed back the curtain and hobbled over to her bed. She moved to make a spot for me. I sat and pushed some of her hair out of her eyes affectionately. This little girl had really grown on me.

She was sweet, sarcastic, caring, annoying; she was a little sister. I'd never had one, but now I wish I had, and I wanted it to be her-as greedy as that sounds.

"Ken. Maybe I should." I whispered, kissing her lightly on the forehead while wrapping my good arm around her.

Madison and I sat like that for a few minutes, her head resting on my shoulder, I knew she must be tired. I sang a lullaby softly in Hebrew to aid her, and she was almost asleep when a loud woman burst into our room.

"Madelyn Peters?" She called as if we were ten feet away. Madison jerked up, wide eyed from being awaken so suddenly.

When she got her bearings back, she managed to answer the woman. "It's Madison, who are you?"

"Oh dear," She stuck her hand out for the little girl to shake. "My name is Mrs. Cooper, I'm from the child services building. I'm here to arrange a place for you to stay while your father is in Iraq."

"But I already do, my mommy." Maddy replied, confused. I had to admit, I was too.

"Well sweety, the agency has deemed her unfit to take care of you." Mrs. Cooper tired to sooth her.

Madison cringed away from her and closer to me. "Unfit how?" I asked.

"Well, negligence and drug abuse." She said as if it were obvious.

"My mommy never neglected me!" I shh'ed her.

I decided to take over for the emotional little girl. "What options does she have?"

"Well, she could go to the home the air-force has on base for single parents that are deployed, or she can be temporarily adopted into a home with a foster parent."

"I don't want to go to a foster home! I wanna stay here. With Annabeth!" She added as she squeezed me tight. I sighed and hugged her best I could.

"Well if she's a foster parent you can." Mrs. Cooper chuckled as she wrote something down on a clipboard. I'm sure she meant it as a joke, but Madison seemed to think she was serious.

She looked up at me, "Oh Madison, I am not-"

"But you can be right? You just gotta take a test!"

I looked at the old woman. She shrugged at me. "I suppose I can get you an interview with the local care force." She muttered.

Madison hugged me tight. "But," Mrs. Cooper cut in. "You aren't very fit to take care of anyone but yourself right now." She gestured to my boot.

"But I am." Percy walked in.

"You want to be a foster father?" I asked, amused and surprised.

"Well no," He turned to the woman sitting in the chair across from our bed. "But I'm protecting Ms. Chase, and protecting Madison will be no problem until she's well again."

"It's not up to me, but the foster care. They deem whether a person is fit to be a parent." She stood up and shook my hand. "Hope to see you again soon, miss."

When she was gone, Madison went on about how great and amazing it would be if I did become a foster parent. Percy watched with amusement until my doctor came back in.

"Well, you're ready to go?" She smiled at me.

"Yes," I told her, then I pulled her over to my bed as I put my knife away. "When does Madison get released?"

"In about a week."

I nodded. "Thank you, for everything Dr. French."

The dark haired doctor waved it off, "Please, call me Emily; and it was not a problem. It's what I do."

I nodded. "I hope to come for Madison as soon as I can, do you think-"

"I will insist on making sure she is absolutely able to leave, no matter how long it takes." She winked at me and left without another word. I smiled to myself and pulled my smaller bag over my shoulder, leaving the larger one for Percy.

I walked over to Madison and kissed her on the forehead. "See you tomorrow?" She asked. Not being able to say no to her big, begging green eyes, I assured her I would visit her everyday. Maddy hugged my neck. "Thank you so much Annie! See you tomorrow, love you."

My eyes widened at her last two words, a strange feeling engulfed me like one of the little girl's hugs. I brought my right arm up to return her hug. "Ani Ohevet Otcha." _I love you. _I stood and blinked back the tears I felt in my eyes. Taking a deep breath before I responded, I grabbed my bag from the floor once more and said, "Ani Tzarich Lalechet Achshav." _I must go now. _

I waited while she tried to process what I said. I smiled when her eyebrows frowned in concentration. Finally she smiled. "Shalom!"

I laughed. "_Very _good. See you later Maddy."

Percy smiled at me and as I passed, he placed a hand on my lower back as he led me out of the hospital.

While we were driving, I asked Percy about the people that wanted to kill me. "What happened at the hotel?"

"Well, we sent in dogs to find the explosives and removed them. We didn't find the guys though..." He trailed off. It sounded almost as if he blamed himself that they didn't capture them.

I placed a hand over his in a comforting gesture. "I will eliminate the six men we have in custody and you can look for the remaining four."

"Yeah, we can put a bolo out on them, that's a good idea Annabeth!" Percy flipped his hand and took mine in his own; he gave it a squeeze.

"What does 'bolo' mean again?" I asked.

"Be on the look out." Percy smiled at me in an understanding way. "It took me close to half a year to learn all the abbreviations and stuff."

I returned with a small smile. "Where are you taking me then?" I asked.

"Well, you said you were going to get your own place at the end of the week, and well-I figured-since you had free time...I would take you out to look for one. I know some great condos that are close to work and surrounded with great restaurants and stuff, it'd be perfect for you."

"Sounds like a plan." I said, showing my agreement in his idea.

A few dozen complexes and several heated arguments later, Percy turned the key for the door to my new condo. He pushed the door open and dramatically ushered me to go in. I chuckled and did so.

When I first walked in, there was a hall way like in a typical hotel room, but there was a large glass-less window that opened up into a good sized kitchen. The walls in it were a light yellow, almost peach, with black counter tops and island. The cabinets were the same light yellow as the walls and the floor was white tile.

I continued into the living room and gasped lightly. The walls were all a very calming blue, and the furniture was all white. A large, three person couch was perched on the far right wall with a matching love seat-it's back to us. There was a black modern coffee table in the middle of the two chairs on top of a corresponding black rug. All situated on a pristine white carpet.

In the far corner there was a large flat-screen on a black wood table. There were two lamps on either side of the long couch on the same black wood table as the T.V. On the far right wall, there was a door that lead somewhere, and on the left wall, closest to me, there was another door. I chose to go through that one.

The door led to a long hallway with five more doors. The two closest to me were a closet and a full bathroom. The other three were bedrooms.

I peeked into the one right across the bathroom. It was obviously meant for a male, the walls were blue-lighter than the living room. A bed with a dark blue comforter was situated in the left corner. The room also had a nice silver desk on the wall next to the door with a post board on the wall above it. A door on the far wall indicated a closet. On the wall next to it was a rich, dark brown dresser.

I moved to the two bedrooms at the end of the hall. The smaller one on the right was a little girl's dream. The walls were a light pink, the bed a darker shade, and a large closet with two full length mirrors on the outside of it's doors. A white desk was on the far side of the room and next to it, a white dresser.

"Hey," Percy's breath ran over my ear. I resisted the urge to shiver. "Your room is over here." I let him guide me to the last room.

When I walked in, I knew immediately it was a master bedroom. A king bed with dark green and black comforter that matched the dark grassy green walls was pushed against the wall. Another flat screen stood across from the bed on a large dresser. There were two desks on opposite sides of the room. I could see a bathroom and a closet as well.

"Oh Percy," I breathed in awe. "It is beautiful." I turned to face him. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," He laughed. "Thank your dad, he paid for it."

I laughed with him. I went to sit on the end of the bed to take it all in. Percy walked up so he was standing in front of me. I looked up at him in question. He said nothing but leaned down, placing an arm on either side of my body.

Slowly he leaned down to capture my lips with his own. I brought my arms up around his neck and pulled him with me down to the bed.


	11. Chapter 11

"Hello Ms. Chase." The pudgy woman shook my hand violently and walked past me without my offer. The woman had brown hair pulled up into a tight bun situated on the top of her head. She wore an-in my opinion-ugly pink suit, and like I said was quite short and...pudgy.

"Please, come in." I muttered, following her into my living room to find her seated on the love seat. "Can I offer you a drink?" Might as well cover what she hasn't helped herself to yet.

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to intrude!" She waved my offer off. When I didn't move, she gave me an annoyed look and ushered me towards the other couch.

Not wanting to anger her, I complied. Normally I would probably knock some manors into someone who did those things, but this is the woman that decided if I could be a foster parent to Madison, so I most definitely didn't want to anger her. The woman placed her briefcase on the coffee table and pulled several files out of it. "So you want to be a foster parent." She mused. "Why?"

"Wh...why?" Her question took me by surprise. Mrs. Whatever her name was looked up at me over her black trim glasses and nodded sarcastically. I cleared my throat and sat up despite my already perfect posture. "There is a little girl in a hospital right now whose mother is unfit to take her care and her father is in Iraq. I am trying to fulfill the promise I made to take care of her myself."

Stopping what she was doing, madam looked up at me. "That's probably the most...sincere answer I think I've ever had." My lips twitched up in a small smile, amused I could surprise her. "Well, let's take a look at your file and see if we can't make it happen."

"Thank you, Ms..."

"Oh!" She exclaimed, placing the folder in her hand on top of her briefcase and held out her hand. "Mrs. Fallon." I shook her hand. "Now, back to our folders. Lets see...you were born in Israel?" Her eyebrows rose but went back down as she read more. "You moved to California when you were five, then Greece at 10.

"You were a child prodigy graduating high school there at 16, college at 20, and was the head architect on the Parthenon reconstruction program." Mrs. Fallon took off her glasses to clean them, surprise and awe etched in her small features. "You are quite traveled little lass, you know almost every common language, and you work for the government as a crime scene investigator?" Her confusion prominent but a smile hinted she was amused by my choice in carriers.

I smiled at the overall reaction to my alias' life, though, most of it was actually taken from my own. "A friend suggested I needed to settle down, and arranged a long list of job interviews. I found that as the most...exciting." I lied smoothly.

Fallon smiled back at me and packed her things away. "I'll just take a small tour around to check for safety and get going."

I nodded and offered her first to the balcony. The tour took not much more than ten minutes before I was walking her to the door. "It was a pleasure to meet you Ms. Chase."

I nodded. "Feeling is mutual Mrs. Fallon. Do you mind me asking, how long will the...process takes?"

The brown haired woman pushed her glasses up. "It depends on many factors, the more red flags that pop up the longer it takes to process a request. With you, you have no problems I can see with your past so that's a whole 12 hours I can skim off, your place is perfectly safe which together saves almost a days worth time. However your age along with being foreign born will add a few hours-"

"Mrs. Fallon." I interrupted her babbling.

"Um," She looked up at me, a look of sincereness on her face. "I hope, for that little girl's sake, only a few days."

I nodded again. "Thank you."

"Thank _you._"

I shut the door and walked into the kitchen to start breakfast. "You never told me any of that stuff."

I smiled down at the bacon as I cut it, placing it in the pan to let it sizzle. "You never asked."

"And if I had?"

I hummed in thought; moving to the fridge to take out some eggs. "I probably would not have told you."

He laughed. "That's what I thought. Smells good, wotcha makin'?"

"You know perfectly well." I batted his head off my shoulder but allowed him to keep his arms around my waist.

Percy nodded, rubbing his hands together in front of my stomach. "Bacon, eggs, and french toast. My favorites, how did you know?"

"You forget," I flipped a slice of egg covered bread in the skillet. "I had two brothers."

"Oh, so what, you're a master of the male stomach now?" He laughed.

"Yes. I suppose you could put it that way." I agreed, totally serious.

Percy let go of me and disappeared with two plates, silverware, and came back for the food as I finished it. I almost laughed at his enthusiasm. Men and their food.

I pushed the double doors at the back off the kitchen that lead to the dinning room with a pitcher of orange juice and two glasses. Percy pulled out one of the brown wood chairs for me. I smiled lightly and sat down.

I watched in amusement as Percy packed his face full of food, nibbling on my own. Birds looked in hungrily from the all glass windows of the north wall that lead out to the balcony. Suddenly my phone started ringing. I excused myself from the table to answer it. "Malach."

"Annabeth," Chiron's voice filled my ears.

"Yes Chiron?"

"Call Percy, we got a case."

I waited for him to elaborate but he didn't. "What is it?" I finally asked.

His gruff voice was unreadable, "Just hurry." And he hung up.

I sighed at my phone, walking into the dinning area to give my partner the bad news. "Percy, finish fast. Chiron was on the phone, we have a case."

"What is it?" He asked around a mouth full of french toast.

"He would not tell me." I growled in frustration and grabbed my half finished plate and glass. Percy looked down at his food, looking suddenly like he wasn't hungry anymore. "What? Why would he not tell me?"

"Well, normally, if he doesn't," Percy placed his elbows on the table, wringing his hands. "It's cause it has something to do with you."

"How could it involve me?" I walked into my room to change. "I have been here, almost a week. All my enemies are dead, hiding, or in a different country."

"I don't know." Percy shrugged from the doorway. I took off his shirt, leaving me in my bra and sweats, and handed it to him then went to change into my own clothes. As I pulled out a pair of white wash jeans and a red blouse, I couldn't help grumbling. Not knowing things bugged me. When I finished pulling on my clothes, I turned to the doorway.

Percy was perched in the doorway, a smirk splashed on his face, watching me. I smacked him on the chest. "Pig."

Before I could get past him, he wrapped his arms around me-trapping me. "I can't help it," He kissed up my jaw. "You're beautiful."

Feeling trapped, I wiggled out of his grasp and slipped past him into the hallway. Just so he wasn't hurt, I sent him a look over my shoulder. Percy grinned and hurriedly put on his shirt to follow me out of the building.

I unlocked my car and slipped in, Percy right behind me. I handed him my phone. "Chiron texted me the address, tell me where I am going."

"Are you sure you can drive with that thing on your leg?" Percy asked nervously. I didn't answer, my good foot hit the gas as soon as the junk car in front of me advanced.

"It's right there, park here." Percy instructed. I nodded, taking my eyes off the scene in front of me. Police tape and cars, James' medical truck, and Chiron's car. I walked through the growing crowd of on-lookers. They moved out of the way for me, coming back together right after I was through, which left Percy to push through them again. They seemed a lot less willing to move for him.

Weird.

"Chiron what is-" I stopped dead in my tracks once I turned the corner of the ally entrance. My stomach churned and my mind raced. I brought my hand to my mouth, half in surprise half to make sure I didn't vomit.

A young boy with dark brown hair and tan skin, was duck-tapped to the left wall. He had a star of David carved into his chest. Written next in blood, most likely his, was _'Death to Jews'_ . "Oh boy." Percy said quietly behind me.

I composed myself and walked over, grabbing a pair of plastic gloves as I passed Nico. He sent me a sympathetic look, but I ignored it. I didn't need pity, the child's family did. It was our job to make sure they did, and sending me pity looks won't make that happen.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Chiron sighed. "We just got here. James is the only one that probably has anything. So James..."

"Well," He scratched his chin with one hand and pointed to the duck-tape with the other. "See how the body is falling away from the wall? These binds were done in haste and unprofessionally."

"What about the writing?" Chiron asked.

"Definitely done in the victim's blood," James moved so he was standing in front of it. "Death to Jews, I've seen this type of persecution before with Nazi groups. They take a random individual off the streets and kill them in cold blood, much like their leader once did back in the war."

I took a deep breath so I didn't lash out at either of them. They were talking about it so causally, as if my people hadn't been killed by the thousands for just being themselves. "The star?" I asked, glad my voice was strong and didn't waver.

"Done post mortem," James comforted, as comforting as that can be, but I was glad he didn't suffer from his own faith.

"Then what was the cause of death?" Percy came up from behind me.

James hummed and examined the body. "I won't be able to tell until I start my autopsy, there are not signs of blunt force trauma anywhere, no strangle marks, he didn't put any kind of struggle-it's impossible to tell right now."

Chiron patted the medical examiner on the shoulder, "Don't worry 'bout it, Jackson and DiAngleo, help him get the poor boy down. Oh, and bag the tape, that's evidence."

Percy put on a pair of gloves and removed the tape on the left hand, Nico did the same with the right while James held the body up. Percy placed them in an evidence bag and handed me the two, I clutched them to my chest. They did the same with the feet.

James placed the body in a bag and zipped it up. Nico hustled over to help him load it onto a gurney, then into the back of his M.E. van. Percy stepped in front of me as I stonily watched the van drive off. My eyes drifted to his. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." I answered, handing over the bags containing the tape.

"Hey guys," Nico called to us. We walked over to him, he was staring intently at the space under the writing. "What do you think this means?"

I squinted at what he was pointing at. In small letters, were the letters NMCM. "NM, CM." Percy voiced them out loud. "Schools?"

"No," I breathed. "NMCM, Navah Minvera Chase Malach."

My male co-workers looked at me in surprise and confusion. "What's that?" Nico asked.

"Not a what," Percy corrected him, not taking his eyes off me. "A who. Those are your initials aren't they Annabeth? NMCM: Navah Minvera Chase Malach. That's your real name."

I nodded numbly. They were quiet for a few minutes, taking it in, when Percy blurted, "I can totally say that!"

Maybe it was the tension of the current situation or I was extremely stressed, because I laughed out loud. It sound was eccentric even to me. Percy grabbed my hand and pulled me over to Chiron, slowly, because of my boot.

"She can't do this case." He told our boss firmly.

Chiron raised his eyebrows and I tried to protest, he hushed me. "Oh, and why is that?"

"Well for starters, her initials were written right under 'death to Jews'." Chiron's face turned to surprise. "And," Percy continued, "This is just to personal, it's stressing her out Chiron. She just laughed like a psycho when I tried to make a joke."

The man in front of me sighed, "For once he's right Annabeth," Percy nodded proudly, then retaliated with a 'hey!' Chiron ignored him. "Go home, Percy you're still on protective detail until we find those last three terrorists. I'll get a few of the newer agents to help, they need experience."

Percy nodded and held his hand out. "If I have to go home, I am driving." He looked at me sceptically, but nodded in defeat, knowing I wouldn't give in.

He learns fast.

The ride to my condo was made in silence. The kind of silence when a couple fights and still have to sit next to each other; awkward. Of course, Percy and I weren't a couple...at least I don't think so.

The second we were in the door, Percy pinned me to the wall. "Are you ok? And don't say you're fine, because I know you're not."

"Why did you ask if you knew the answer?" He stared at me, not saying anything. I sighed. "You Americans have a pride in your country, yes? Israelis are the same. We are proud of our culture, our religion, and when we see events like that reoccurring..." I trailed off and looked down. "It reminds us-me-of what happened to our people. The pain, torture..."

"Hey," Percy put a hand under my chin and pulled it up, his voice much softer than before. "Hey. It's ok." He pulled me into a hug. I flinched at the contact but quickly got over it and returned it. When he pulled back, our faces were extremely close.

I waited, but Percy just stood there-staring at my lips like he really wanted to go farther. I twitched forward on accident, and Percy took it as a signal to go. His lips crashed against mine, and I returned with equal fever.

I had to pull back when air became an issue. Percy pressed his forehead against mine. His minty breath was hot on my face for a moment before he ducked his head to my jaw; kissing a trail down my neck. "Percy." I called out in warning, not entirely sure I meant it.

Percy growled at my phone when it rang. I breathed out the breath I was holding and shifted Percy's right arm from its place on the wall next to my head so I could duck under. I walked over to my jacket hanging on the rack by the door and pulled it out of the pocket.

"Malach." I answered, tapping my foot lightly.

"Annabeth?" A small, familiar voice squeaked from the other line. I couldn't keep the smile off my face.

"Shalom Maddi."

"Annabeth!" She exclaimed happily. "When are you coming to visit?"

I mentally cursed myself for forgetting. "When would you want me to?"

The little girl hummed lightly as she considered the possibilities. "How about lunch?"

"It is a date." I smiled. Percy made somewhat frantic waving arm movements to get my attention. I zoned Madison's endless, but still slightly cute, babbling about my visit out and tried to decipher what he was trying to say.

First he pointed to himself, pretty obvious what that meant. Then he placed his hand out like a platform, and using his index and middle fingers, imitated a mini pair of legs. Lastly he pointed at me. I sighed.

"Maddi," I interrupted her speech about the disgusting hospital food. "Would you mind if I brought a friend?"

She giggled. "You mean your boyfriend? Sure, more the merrier!"

I shook my head at her, but didn't say anything. "I will see you in a few hours Madison, Shalom."

"Bye Annie! Oh! I mean shalom!" I shut my phone.

"We are going at noon." I informed him, glancing at the clock in the kitchen; 10:49.

Percy scratched the back of his neck. "We should leave at 11 or earlier then."

I sent him an apprehensive look, frowning my eyebrows. "Why?"

He laughed at me. "You've never been in America, but D.C. traffic is hell." Percy started looking around for something, it was then I noticed he didn't have a shirt on. _When did that happen? _I wondered. "Only rivaled by L.A., oh man, that's horrible."

I didn't join in on his laughter. "Are all your cities two letters?"

"Well no, L.A. and D.C. are abbreviations in the first place; Los Angles and the District of Columbia."

"Why would they name it-never mind." I waved my hand in a half circle. "Americans are very strange."

"Sometimes that's a good thing." Percy walked towards me.

_It is now or never. _I told myself. When he got within distance, I put out a hand to stop him. He took it from his chest and kissed from my fingers to the underside of my wrist before I stopped him. "Percy."

He looked up at me with his deep green eyes. I had to blink several times to break out of whatever spell they put me under; scolding myself for letting him effect me so easily.

"What?" He questioned almost sounded like he was...scared. "Did, did I do something wrong?"

I let out a breath though my nose. "No, but I want to know something in case you do."

Percy angled his hand to interlace with mine, letting it fall to the side and taking a few steps so he was right in front of me; our chests brushing up against each other. "Ask away."

"Where are we?"

"Your condo." I glared at him. He stuttered. "Sorry, I know what you mean and-I don't know." Percy pushed his forehead to mine again. "I like you Annabeth, I really do."

We locked eyes and stared at each other, neither of us saying anything. "You know, this is where you say 'I like you too' and everything goes smoothly." Percy chuckled.

"I um..." I gulped and patted his chest. "I enjoy your presence." Ducking under his arm a second time, I walked towards my room to change.

Percy's laughter echoed through the condo. "You enjoy my presence?" His footsteps followed me through the hallway. "Come on, I spilled, now its your turn."

"To dump?" I asked and pulled out a pair of sweat pants to change into.

"Spill," I waved the correction off. "Annabeth, come on!"

"Yes," I agreed. "Come, we must leave to visit Madison."

"Annabeth!"

* * *

><p>"Shalom Madison," I smiled. "How have you been?"<p>

"Its a lot more boring without you here." I nodded. "Where's your boyfriend?"

Shaking my head, I changed the subject. "I talked to the foster care." Percy walked in, leaning against the door frame watching with admiration and a spark of something I couldn't quite place.

The little girl's eyes lit up. "Really? What'd they say?"

"They are looking over my application and I should know by the end of the week." Madison smiled and hugged my waist.

I stiffly wrapped an arm around her. "So do I." I whispered in response.

* * *

><p><strong>I am sooooo sorry for taking so long! It's just been overwhelming with Softball season kicking into full gear. I have about 6 games a week at least; 7 this week and practice on Sunday. <strong>

**Crazy right? Then there's homework and a stupid To Kill a Mockingbird essay. BLAH!  
><strong>

**So anyway, hope you like it!  
><strong>

**Always yours,  
><strong>

**~Arty  
><strong>


	12. Chapter 12

Rachel was leaning against the file cabinet talking to Nico when I walked in to work. It was Thursday now, three days after their case started, and they still hadn't found who did it. Every time I asked them, they only said they were close.

When I sat down at my desk, their chatter seemed to waver. I sighed, great. "Hey uh, Annabeth?" Rachel asked nervously.

"Ken?" I answered subconsciously, not looking up from my computer.

"You remember when you said you could get into your father's personal files?" I waved my hand in a circle, urging her to get to her point. "Right, well I need to run some fingerprints through the database."

I looked up from my computer. "Do you think you have a suspect?"

"Well we ran them through everything else, I just want to be sure." Rachel answered vaguely.

Annoyed she didn't just answer me, I nodded. "Send me the fingerprints and I will."

"Ok! Move, Nico." She pulled his chair and pushed him across the room to get to his computer.

"Hey! You have your own desk, you know!" He exclaimed from where he was pushed across the room, pointing to a highly decorated desk only two meters (6 feet) away from Chiron's.

She gave him her middle finger and continued with her hurried typing; a notification sprang up in the corner of my screen. I clicked on the attachment and set to work scanning the information. Rachel stood in her place in front of Nico's desk, smiling expectantly at me. "Rachel," I sighed. "It is going to take some time for the prints to run."

She nodded and waved it off, "Oh no big, I have work to do in the lab. Call me if it finds anything!"

I chuckled lightly to myself as she rushed to the elevator. Nico grumbled and rolled his chair back to his desk. "You are wrapped around her finger." I laughed.

Nico stuttered in surprise. "W-what does th-at mean?"

"Do not act like I cannot see the connection you two share." I scolded him playfully.

The younger agent tried to hide behind his computer, flustered. It was then that Percy walked in from parking his car. When he took in our work space, he burst out laughing. "You figured out Rachel and Nico's thing didn't you?"

I tilted my head. "How did you know?"

Percy hung up his coat on a hook behind his desk. "Because she's the only thing that can make him blush like that."

"I am not blushing!" Nico protested, then sank behind his computer again. "It's just hot in here."

"I feel fine." I said, just to tease him. Percy started laughing.

A young girl walked up to Percy and handed him a folded piece of paper. She was quite beautiful, and obviously a mix of Indian-sorry, Native American-and American. Her skin was a light mixture of the two cultures, her eyes seemed to change color as the light reflected off of them, her dark brown hair pulled up into a long pony tail.

She smiled down at my partner as he took the paper from her. "There's your search warrant, Jackson."

"Thanks Pipes," Percy said in return. "Oh, Piper, this is Annabeth. She's Jason's replacement."

The woman turned to me, her ever changing eyes sparkled with excitement. "Hi! My name's Piper, I work with Chiron and the guys as their lawyer. I cover all the legal trouble they get in." She winked at me; I shook her hand. "It's nice to have a girl on the team for once! It's been all guys for as long as I've been here. My desk is right over there, come see me any time! I'd love to get you know you." I followed her finger to the desk two over from mine.

"I will keep that in mind." I smiled at her, unable to keep myself from taking a liking to this girl.

Suddenly her smile widened. "What's that accent?"

"Israeli," I answered.

"Sweet! I'm Cherokee myself, that should bring on some interesting stories, huh!" A loud buzzing sound went off at her waist. Piper removed a small pager from her belt loop. "Oh! I gotta take this, see ya guys later!"

I laughed lightly as she hurried back to her desk, Percy joined me. "She likes to talk." He stated.

"Thank you," I rolled my eyes as I sat down, "For pointing out the obvious. Are there anymore people I should know about?"

"Well," He paused to think, silently counting people out on his hands. I read his lips as he mouthed their names. Nico, Chiron, Rachel, Piper, then names I didn't know like Leo and Malcolm. "Yea, a few."

"And? When do I get the pleasure of meeting them?" I asked when he didn't continue and started up his computer.

Percy leaned back in his chair, contemplating my request. Suddenly he stood up. "Sure, why not now?" I took his outstretched hand and followed to the elevator.

I fell in step with him, matching his strides. "Where are we going?"

"Down to the basement," Percy pressed the 'B' button on the control panel and the elevator began to move. "That's where they spend the majority of their time."

"So, who am I meeting?"

"Well let's go to Leo first, he's our weapons specialist." I nodded and watched the number count down on the small screen. When we reached the basement, Percy guided me towards a caged area. He typed in a code on the small keypad and opened the door for me.

I walked in, taking in the shelves and rows of different kinds of guns of all different calibers. I raised my eyebrows at the extent of the collection. After several turns and weaves in and out of many more rows of several different kinds weapons, Percy pointed to a man hunched over a work table.

"That's Leo." He whispered to me, then louder, he called to the man in front of us. "Yo, Leo!"

He spun around, a knife in one hand and a huge smile plastered on his face. "Percy! Hey, wassup bro. Who is this?" Once he saw me, this 'Leo' person strode over to stand directly in front of me.

I glared up at the curly haired man, who was invading my personal space. "Leo, this is Annabeth, she's my new partner; Jason's replacement."

"It is _very _nice to meet you." Leo smile spread, his teeth almost blinded me. His close proximity was getting on my nerves, and I would just have to show him it was a bad idea to mess with me.

I quickly stepped out of his range of sight, pulling my knife out of its holster on my upper arm at the same time. I kicked the back of his knees before he could turn around to force him to my level.

I placed my Kris at his neck. "Do _not _flirt with me." I whispered into his ear, deadly calm. Leo nodded quickly, his eyes wide with fear. I smiled in satisfaction and let him go.

He scrambled away from me in a hurry, rubbing his neck. "Damn dude, I'm surprised you're still alive!"

I scoffed and crossed my arms. Percy laughed. "Me too, but I know better then to make a Mossad assassin mad."

Leo through his arms up. "You could'a warned me! Hey, that's a sweet knife." I was surprised by his ability to suddenly change the subject. "Kris? Oh man, I've seen some pretty wicked ceremonies performed with those! And that one, wow, look at that craftsmanship-"

"Leo." Percy interrupted him.

"Oh, sorry." He apologized. Leo turned and, hesitantly, offered his hand to me. "We got off on the wrong foot. My name is Leo, sorry about earlier."

I nodded, taking his hand in good faith. Leo leaned back against a table and crossed his arms after I had released his hand. "So, Mossad huh?"

I shrugged it off and walked along the closest row of weapons. "Quite a collection you have." I commented.

"Yeah thanks, gotta be prepared ya know? You never know what these whack-jobs will bring me." Leo stuck his thumb in Percy's direction. "Or in this one's case, you never know when he'll bring his gun in for repair. Honestly, boy breaks _something _every week!"

Percy pretended to be offended, but his slight smile gave it away. "Do not!" We all laughed.

"I have a question." I said when the boys had calmed down.

"Shoot." Leo nodded.

I frowned. "Shoot what?" I asked, confused.

He scratched the back of his head, "Well I, I mean go ahead and ask."

"Oh," I nodded. "Who was Jason?"

"Jason was my old partner." Percy said from next to me. He was leaning back on the same table I was, his arms spread out behind him; one conveniently behind my back so he basically had his arm around my waist. "He retired a few months ago when his dad died because he inherited a lot of money. He and his sister split it, but she's still working just to occupy her time."

"How do you know?" I inquired.

"She's our next stop, see ya Leo." Percy brought his arm up so it actually was around my waist and lead me out of the cage.

"Stop by anytime!" He called from behind us. "Gets lonely down here."

"Then come upstairs." Percy joked back. I chuckled at them. "Alright, she's right through here." He opened a door for me, I nodded a thank you and walked in.

I was met with a room that reminded me of a forest. The walls were a deep green, the floor a dark brown hardwood, and the walls littered with pictures of various animals; it reminded me of Leo's gun collection.

"Hey T!" My partner called to a woman with her back to us, looking intently at a computer. She swiveled around in her desk chair. I met her bright blue eyes and saw a spark of what I could have sworn was electricity. She had short, spiky black hair, and was wearing almost all sliver. The woman stood and bounced over to Percy, enveloping him in a large hug.

"Hey! You really should come down more often, I miss seeing you!" She flashed a bright smile.

"You're always welcome upstairs." Percy repeated the line he had told Leo only a few minutes ago, but instead of a joking tone, he sounded sincere. I felt a ping in my heart, but quickly pushed it down as he introduced me once more.

"Hello Annabeth," She greeted warmly, pulling me into the same kind of hug as Percy. I stood there awkwardly with my arms at my sides while trying to breathe. "I'm Thalia, nice to meet you."

"You too." I said back politely.

"Thalia is an on-duty agent." Percy explained. "We only call her in when we need her. She's an animal expert."

"I do weather patterns too." Thalia added as she walked over to her computer again. I looked over her shoulder to see a complicated system of weather diagrams dating back at most to three months ago. "Which is why I'm here; checking out the patterns from the last four months to help Reyna in her current case."

"Who is Reyna?" I asked Percy quietly as she continued to talk.

"Leader of another team." He whispered back. To Thalia he said, "That's really cool T, but I gotta bring Annabeth to meet Malcolm."

"Oh you'll love Malcolm, Annie! He's just like you." I flinched at the nickname, but didn't comment.

"Like me?" I asked. Percy pulled me out of the door before she could answer and dragged me back to the elevator. "Hey." I punched him in the shoulder. "I was talking."

He rubbed the place of impacted, not answering while he pressed Rachel's floor. "Sorry to break up your gossip," He said finally.

I sighed, leaning back against his chest; deciding just to accept his apology. I had to look down at the metal floor when he wrapped his arms around my waist to keep my smile under control.

* * *

><p><strong>Well hiya guys...<strong>

**I'm sorry I haven't updated, but I recently took a trip to the Emergency room because I had an 'Asthma' attack where I couldn't breathe. Thing is I don't have asthma, I have Bronchitis. Which sucks...bad...**

**So now I'm home, coughing my lungs out, and updating for you. Reviews will make me feel better!**

**Always yours,**

**~Arty**


	13. Chapter 13

**Annabeth**

Rachel's lab is huge, and I got lost in the first few turns. It's a wonder how Percy navigated this place so easily. Speaking of said red-head, Percy stopped in a large room with lots of tables; all marked with different shapes and colors, bags rested on top of them had corresponding colored shapes.

"Hey Rach," Percy called. I twitched at the nickname but didn't show my distaste. "Do you know where Malcolm is?"

Rachel rolled her eyes good naturedly, "Where he always is." Percy nodded in thanks and took my hand to pull me along again. Having still been looking at her, I saw Rachel glare at our intertwined hands before Percy did in fact pull me down several more corridors and many doors with the same colored shapes as the tables and bags; effectively getting me confusingly lost.

"Here we are." My partner proclaimed proudly. In front of me was a door identical to every other one we had passed so far, the only difference was the small purple Greek Delta placed on the top of the frame. With two quick knocks, Percy entered the room.

I followed behind him. We entered a room full of equipment I couldn't imagine anyone knew how to work, and a solo worker. At the far corner of the 3x6 meter room, was a younger looking male with blond hair like mine. He had on a blue jumpsuit with 'CSI' printed in black letters on the back.

"Hey Malcolm." Percy greeted.

'Malcolm' swiveled in his chair so he was facing us. His face lit up at the thought of visitors. "Hey Perce! Let me guess, your new partner Annabeth Chase from Mossad?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, my hand twitched to my left arm, ready to produce my knife for the second time in that hour. "Don't worry," Percy put a hand on my shoulder. I turned my glare at him and he eased off. "Malcolm does worker inventory, he puts everyone's information into the government's database. He knows everyone."

I nodded but still didn't like the idea of him knowing me without actually meeting me first. "Hey, I saw you applied to be a foster parent," The blond turned back to his computer and typed something on one of the dozens of computers crammed in the room. "I pulled some strings and...ta-dah!" A printer whirled to life next to me. I took the paper it produced and gave it a once over.

"I was accepted?" I asked, slightly at awe.

"Yup! I pulled some strings, sped the process up, and took the liberty to print out your certificate." I nodded in thanks.

"Malcolm's a computer whiz." Percy told me later as we were making our way through the many hallways back to our desks; Chiron had called us. "He can hack any codes we give him."

I nodded numbly, not necessarily caring about what he was saying; to distracted about what Chiron might have needed.

"Finally," Nico stood from his spot. "We've been waiting-"

"Easy child," Chiron calmed. "They are here now."

"Whatcha need Chiron?" Percy inquired.

"Annabeth's search hit a match. The fingerprint belonged to one of our missing terrorists."

I rubbed my eyes wearily and walked to my desk to pull up the information. Sure enough, a license photo and data of a weapons specialist named Edan Peled came up. "Why would he kill the young boy?" I muttered to myself.

"Well we think he did to make a statement against you." Chiron said, keeping his eyes on me the whole time. I refused to look back. "Do you think he would have any reason to pick a child, or carve the star into him?"

"I am suppose to pick up Madison today." I admitted quietly, that being the only thing I could think of.

"Wait, you think he killed an innocent just to get on her nerves?" Percy asked.

"It is a possibility." He nodded grimly.

"We need to catch these guys before they do something else." Nico slammed his fist against his desk. Chiron nodded in agreement, and just as he was about to say something, Nico's phone went off.

We stayed silent as he answered it, trying to piece together what he was saying with his end of the conversation, at least I was anyway. Finally he hung up and turned to us. "The bolo just got a hit." Percy, Chiron, and Nico all grabbed their things and walked to the elevators. I sighed and typed more on my computer, assuming I was still off the case, until my phone rang. I picked it up, squeezing it between my shoulder and cheek so I could continue my email to my father. "Malach."

"Are you coming, agent Chase?" My new boss' amused voice drifted through the receiver and into my ear. I smiled and, without a word to him, hung up to join them.

I entered the abandoned paper mill last, the boys ahead of me after insisting in a hushed argument I wasn't fit to lead.

Humph.

Chiron took it in my place, maneuvering through the various old machines and crates that were collecting dust. He peaked around a corner and held his fist up, signaling us to stop. After spending a few more seconds looking, he turned to us. "The four of them are sitting there, two are asleep from what I can see, the other two are playing cards."

"Let me shoot at them, I can injure them so they cannot hurt us or run." I insisted, thinking about how that worked the last time.

Chiron shook his head. "No, we need to surround them and cut them off from their weapons; take them quietly." I sighed in irritation as he dished out directions to go. I ended up getting sent to the very back, the longest distance, which makes me wonder if they were really worried about my leg or not.

Percy took his spot to the right of me, and Nico to the left, while Chiron stayed to the front. He motioned Percy to sneak forward, well at least the was the intention, because we learned very quickly Percy cannot sneak.

One of the two, who were indeed playing cards, stood from the crate they were using as a table to see what was making noise. Percy was smart enough to run into one of the machines and accidentally turn it on, so our cover wasn't blown completely.

"You think that was her?" The second one asked, in Hebrew.

"No, she would not have been so careless." The first muttered. My chin came up at the compliment. I saw Nico's confused face in the darkness and nearly laughed, but like number one said, I wouldn't be that careless.

After waiting for Percy to return to his position, Chiron motioned him forward again. I held my breath as I watched him move forward until he reached a line of crates that weren't labeled with the same logo as the others. He stopped there and Chiron had Nico do the same then did it himself.

I wasn't expecting him to text me instructions.

I took my phone out and looked at the new message. _'Talk them up. We got your back.'_ I nodded in his direction and sheathed my gun, walking out in plain sight.

"Shalom boys." I greeted with amusement. They scrambled to their feet, both heading towards an open crate about 3 meters away. I rolled my eyes and took both the knives from my waist. One lodged itself in a crate behind the smaller man as well as his sleeve that effectively stopped him from moving as he attempted to dislodge it.

The second was just a little off and speared the larger man's palm. He yelled out in pain, which woke up one of the other two. I sighed.

"Edan!" The large man called to the freshly awake man. I snarled, this was the guy who killed that innocent boy. While he was still groggy with sleep, I grabbed his arm and wrapped it behind his back. I kicked the back of his knees and he fell to the floor.

Nico at one time had come forward and had the fourth man handcuffed to his cot. Chiron and Percy joined us, Percy cuffed the uninjured man stuck to the crate while Chiron helped the other. I personally didn't think he deserved help, but that's just me.

"Sorry Chiron." I told my boss as the ambulance drove off.

"No, you did very good Annabeth." He rubbed my shoulder. I flinched.

Percy came up to me. "Your doctor called, she said you have to pick Madison up before 5; its 4 now."

I looked over my shoulder at Chiron hopefully. After a quick laugh, he nodded and handed me his key, saying he'd drive with Nico. I took the keys gratefully and tried to not completely run to the car in excitement. Percy laughed anyway.

I flipped him off.

When I pulled into the hospital, the elevator couldn't go faster, and the nurse at the desk was purposely going slow-I know it-but when Madison came hobbling out in a boot, it was worth it. "Annie!" Her smile was missing a few teeth. "Guess what! I lost another tooth today!"

I laughed, it was the third one this week. "That is great Maddi! You can place it under your pillow tonight." I took her hand as I lead her out of the hospital.

"Hey! Look! We're like twins!" I looked down at her confused until I saw her pointing at our boots.

I smiled down at her, releasing her hand to wrap my arm around her shoulders. For an eight year old, Maddi was quite tall; reaching up to just below my shoulders. Percy had stayed in the car, so I sat in the passenger side after situating Madison in the back. He drove us back to my condo.

Upon my request, Percy left after Madison and I got out. Once again I lead her into the building. "Whoa. This place is huge!" She exclaimed.

I rubbed her shoulders from behind her, humming in agreement. "There are two rooms for you to choose from," I told her. "Though I have a feeling I know which one you will pick."

I motioned down the corridor the bedrooms were. She wobbled down as fast as she could, stopping at the first room. "I love it!"

I stood in the doorway watching her bounce on her butt on the bed. "This was not the room I thought you would take."

"Really? Is there a better one?" Maddi asked, her excitement not dulled. After I brought her down to the pink room, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "Maybe if it wasn't pink."

"We could always repaint it if you want." I offered.

"Could we really? What about green?"

I laughed. "Ken. Seems doable."

"Yes!" Maddi exclaimed and rushed forward to hug me. She nearly knocked me over by the sudden rush.

"Come, we have to go to the elementary school a few blocks over to register you."

Her happy expression turned sour. "School? Aw! Do I have to Annie?"

I opened the front door, grabbing my keys and wallet. "Yes you do, now come." Reluctantly, she followed me out and sat in the backseat of my car. "You can sit up here you know," I turned in my seat. "I do not bite hard."

Madison smiled and came up to sit next to me. The school was only a few blocks away, so it took but a few minutes to get there. I parked close to the main entrance and put up my temporary handicap holder up. We came up to the desk where a plump woman with white hair with kind eyes sat. "Can I help you dear?" She asked.

I nodded. "I need to enroll my daughter." I said, but hesitated on the word. She was technically my daughter since I was her foster mother, but then again, only temporarily.

The woman sent me a weird look, probably wondering why I had a child so young, but gave me the papers none the less. I pulled Maddi over to the chairs and we sat down together to work out the answers.

We made a good team, because we finished them in less than 20 minutes. I handed them back to the woman, and I felt like I was in school again myself. "Welcome to Corrie Elementary Miss Chase." She said, shaking Madison's hand who shook back enthusiastically.

"She should have no problems starting Monday." The receptionist told me as we watched Maddi play. "The school year started about three weeks ago."

I nodded and checked my watch. "Well, then I should get her to bed if she is; it being Sunday and all. Laliah tov." I stood and came up behind Madison to sneak up on her. I scooped her up and threw her over my shoulder. She squealed out with laughter while I walked out of the building.

* * *

><p><strong>My bronchitis is gone! I'm so happy! <strong>

**Annyyyway, sooorry it took me so long to update, yada yada yada**

**Yours always,**

**~Arty**


	14. Chapter 14

That was two months ago, and my plan was finally ready.

"Hey Anna?" Madison asked, hesitantly, that night. I looked up from my chicken and swallowed the current bitte in my mouth.

"Ken?" I replied trying not to smile, because I knew what she was going to ask me.

"Well, there's this thing at school and I was wondering if you would be my parent for parent day since mom can't and dad's away." She said all in one breath.

I let a small laugh out and nodded. "Yes Madison, I would love to."

The next day I called my father to ask him what I was going to say to the class. I would love to actually tell them what I did, but I needed his blessing first. "Ah! Navah! How are you my darling?" His voice answered after the third ring.

"Shalom aba." I greeted back. "I have a question."

"Proceed." He offered with enthusiasm, so I told him about Madison and about the parent day. "Well, go show them what a real mom looks like." Before I could thank him, he hung up. I hmmed at my phone and placed it in my pocket, walking into the building.

"Class!" Ms. Cordell called out to calm the chattering class full of not only the normal kids but now one to two middle aged adults standing by each desk. "Now that everyone is here, we can start. We'll go down the alphabet, Gabby, you're first."

There were about six kids who showed their parents off, two only having one parent. The occupations presented were common; a lawyer, telemarketer, even a wrestler, and nearly all the wives were stay at home bums who didn't do anything.

Then it was Madison's turn. "Madison Chase."

I patted the young girl sitting on my lap in reassurance. She stood while dragging me behind her. "This is my foster mom, Annabeth Chase." She announced. "She's taking care of me while my daddy is in Iraq. She's a-"

"I can take it from here Maddi." I stopped her. She nodded and stood waiting like the rest of the class. I took a deep breath and started; passing across the room like I do in interrogations.

"Who has ever seen a gun before?" I finally asked. About seven or so hands went up, five were boys. "Alright, who has actually held a gun?" Two boys, who I remember their father was a cop, raised their hands. A few seconds after the lawyer stood up.

"What does this have to do with anything?" He asked annoyed.

"Overruled!" I exclaimed. I'd always wanted to say that. "Sit down!" Shocked, he looked down at his wife but none the less, sat down. I almost smiled. "As I was saying, not many of you have experience with firearms. I was shooting guns at age five."

Before any of the parents spoke up, and I saw a good portion of them open their mouths with appalled expressions, I continued. "Now, how many of you noticed my accent?"

Everyone of the kids raised their hands. "Does anyone know where it's from?"

"What is this, 20 questions?"

I ignored the obnoxious lawyer. "I was born in Israel, a country close to where Madison's father is fighting. It was there that I had my first job; an assassin."

There was an uproar of disagreement, but I kept going. "I moved to the United States for a new start, I got a job for the government, became a foster parent, and took in Madison." I smiled down at her.

"My current occupation is working with CSI as an investigator. Who knows what that stands for?"

I pointed at a young girl in the front row. "Crime Scene Investigation."

Nodding my head in conformation, I asked "Any questions?" Completely directed at the children, and not their parents.

I nodded at a young boy sitting in the second row. "Have you killed anyone?"

"I lost track at about a hundred, since there are not anymore questions-"

Enthusiastically, a small boy's hand shot up. He shook it like mad, his tongue came out of the corner of his mouth. Anything to get my attention. I actually smiled and called on him. "Can you show us something?"

I cocked my head to the side, "Like what, exactly, did you have in mind?"

I knew it was a bad idea as soon as I heard it, but somehow, ten minutes later the whole class was huddled behind me in anticipation; Madison stood nearly fifteen feet away with an apple on her head grinning like a mad man.

She was the only one that I felt comfortable throwing a knife at, also the only one that trusted my abilities. Besides, none of the other parents would let me throw a sharp object at their child's head.

Pansies.

I took out my knife and took less than five seconds to aim before I let the metal blade go in a perfect arc. It wedged itself into the soft flesh of the apple with precision, it fell to the ground behind her.

Maddi ran to me and hugged me while the other children piled around me, talking excitedly. It was then that I knew no matter how much their parents hated me, my plan was a success.

"How'd parent day go?" Percy asked as I sat down at my desk.

"Just as planned." I gave a half smile. "Everyone over the age of 10 hates me." Percy and Nico laughed and I smiled for real.

Chiron walked over from a desk on the other side of the room, "Oh good, you're back. Come on." Without hesitation we followed, bags on our shoulders.

* * *

><p><strong>To whoever sent that anynomous review about me being a 'boob' for not updating, I try, I really do. Its just, I have a little issue called <em>life <em>that gets in the way sometimes. Sorry.**

**So, I'm actually out of ideas for missions, so I'll have to get back to you on that ...**

**Always yours,**

**~Arty**


	15. Chapter 15

I took in the scene in front of me in disgust. There were bodies of children spewed all over the floor like trash bags. It was impossible to tell who were alive and who was dead, and Chiron had given me the honorable job of checking each one of them for a pulse.

If any of them were still alive, they would need one of the greasy cheeseburgers Percy was always eating more than anything.

I was nearing the end of the room when I felt movement under my fingers. It was slight and weak, but I quickly scooped up the little boy it belonged to and rushed him out of the room. There was a paramedic car waiting in case we found anything.

Chiron looked up from his interview long enough to register what was going on and order Percy to continue my work. Wordlessly, I jumped in the back of the car.

A strong voice made me look up from the magazine I was reading. Or should I say _una revista _since they were all in Spanish. "How's he doing?"

I sighed, tossing the magazine on one of the side tables next to my chair. "Very malnutritioned and several broken ribs. Not to mention the mental trauma." I rubbed my eyes. "He won't let me leave."

"What do you mean?"

"He seems to only trust me, and anytime he is awake, I have to be holding his hand or he goes into a fit; so of course the doctors keep on insisting I stay as well."

Percy laughed and sat in the chair next to me. "Seems like you're always end up in a hospital. Has it always been like this for you? Like even in Israel I mean."

"Only for my brothers really." I answered subconsciously. "They got hurt all the time."

"Never you?"

I looked up at him slightly annoyed from all his questions. "No."

"What changed?" He laughed out loud and a startled gasp came from the bed.

Quickly, without answering him, I stood and walked to the edge. "Are you alright Kade?"

The smaller than normal boy clung to my arm, his bright blue eyes were clouded with worry. "Who-who's that?"

I smoothed blond his-now clean and soft hair to calm him. Percy held out his hand to the little boy. "Name's Percy, how are you doing little guy?" Kade cringed away from him slightly and Percy retracted it. "Right then."

"Look, Kade, I have to go home. I have a daughter of my own I have to take care of, and I need to do some research. I will be back soon, not to worry." I added when the look of horror spread across his face.

"Don't go, please!"

I pried my arm out of his death grip. "Percy is my partner, you can trust him. He will protect you while I am gone." I left without giving either of them time to react.

I stared at my computer screen. I was horrified, disgusted, appalled, any word along those lines at the activities that had occurred in that farmhouse basement. Well, not the basement specifically, the actual farm, but you get the point.

All the children that were there had been worked to death-literally-for cheap labor, harvesting food, canning, rolling hay; then on top of all these things they weren't being fed nearly enough food themselves.

"Annabeth." I almost jumped. "Has Rachel matched any of the DNA we took from the house?"

I shook my head. "No, she is trying to match the children with missing reports from the last four months since James placed the first death at two months ago."

Chiron sighed. "That is very important, but the more immediate issue is the people who did that to them. I'll go talk to her, keep doing..." He waved at my computers, "...that." I rolled my eyes in amusement as my boss walked away.

"Oh, by the way, Annabeth." I hummed in acknowledgement. "How's that boy doing?"

My eyes widened. "Oh no."

As I ran out of the building, Chiron called behind me, "You left Percy in charge, didn't you?"

I satisfy didn't satisfy him with an answer.

When I got to the hospital, I can't say I was surprised to find Kade hiding under his covers. The puppet show wasn't expected, however. "Come on kid! This is pure gold!"

I sighed. "Are you ok Kade?"

At the sound of my voice, Kade nearly jumped out of his bed. "Whoa, whoa. Be careful, your IV will come out." My phone started ringing. "Pick that stuff up." I ordered Percy before answering it.

"Annabeth, Rachel did some back story on your survivor." I looked down at Kade and detangled myself from him. "Turns out he's an orphan, he doesn't have any parents to pick him up from the hospital."

I looked back at the frightened young boy, somewhat torn. "He would never survive in a home Chiron."

"I know." There was a pause on his end and I faintly heard Rachel's voice on the other side. "Madison has done marvelous the last few years with you..." He trailed off.

He was right, Maddi-who was eleven now-had completely recovered from her injury and the trauma of being kidnapped. It didn't help when her father's plane was shot down when she was nine, but she was strong. I taught her well.

"Madison has been dropping hints about a sibling..." I mimicked him.

"Then you will sign him out of the hospital when he is well again. In the meantime, send Percy back, I need his help."

I growled. "I guess that means I am on babysitting duty."

"Well, he is going to be your son. Glad you understand."

The line went dead. I sighed again and told Percy he could leave. "Thank you, so much." He said sincerely with his hands on my shoulders. Almost without realizing it, he kissed me and ran out of the room. I shook my head, I needed to talk to him about that later.

And no, our 'relationship' over the last three years has not improved. I don't want to talk about it.

"So, how bad was it?" I joked. Whenever he got really stressed-like I could imagine he was now-I would always tell him a joke or try to make him laugh. It always calmed him down, I know that before he was kidnapped he must have been a 'class clown'.

Sure enough, he giggled. "Just imagine the worst actor you've ever seen, times a kajillion." I laughed with him.

* * *

><p><strong>Percy's POV<strong>

I sat in the car, clutching the steering wheel but not going anywhere; I hadn't even started the engine yet. I was too busy thinking about Annabeth.

I had heard her talking to Chiron about Kade and adopting him. It seemed like anytime kids were involved in any of our cases, Annabeth was the first one to reach out to comfort them. Then in Madison's and now Kade's case, take them in as her own.

That's not something I expected of a hardened Mossad assassin.

Or how surprisingly soft her lips were. God I was an idiot. She had told me three years ago that she didn't want a new relationship, but here I am- still trying to make moves on her. She must think I'm some sort of...I didn't even want to think about what she thought of me. IT was probably bad though.

FInally I started up and drove down to the office, Chiron was going to have my butt if I didn't answer his call soon.

"What's up boss?" I asked.

Chiron looked up from his computer. "Rachel and Nico are working on DNA, but I need you to go back and check for any clues."

"Back at the house?" He nodded at me like that was the stupidest question I could have asked. "I thought we already...right got it. On my way."

I parked the car in the dirt driveway of the farmhouse twenty minutes later. I was right when I said we had already scoured this house looking for anything, and then brought everything that wasn't bolted down back for further study, but Chiron knew what he was doing.

_Think like Chiron _I thought _What would he do...the Barn! _There were three buildings on the property; the house, the barn, and a separate garage next to the house. We had searched the garage already, so that left the barn.

I walked in cautiously, my hand on my gun enough though the only thing I expected to find in here were cows. Like I thought, there were two pigs and a horse. I checked in each stall only to find hay and empty air, with the occasional stool.

Exhausted, I sat down on a hay stack only to have something hard and metal stick me in the butt. I jumped up in surprise. "Huh." I muttered to myself. "What do we have here..." I moved the hay around and found what I had sat on; a laptop. "Gotcha ya little bugger. Let's get you back to nerds squared."

After checking the rest of the hay, and thoroughly annoying the remaining animals, I had found only a blank passport; not the most astonishing discovery but oh well.

"Hey Rach! Nico! I brought you a gift!" I called into the lab as I walked off the elevator.

"It must be my birthday," The redhead commented with a smile. "Yes! A laptop! My favorite. Where did you find it?"

"In a barn hidden in some hay."

"That explains the smell." Nico wrinkled his nose. "Then again that's normal for you." I punched his shoulder and got back in the elevator.

"Whatcha doing boss?" I asked since I didn't have anything else to do.

"Trying to find a cellphone, but this is really confusing." He frowned at the screen.

I laughed. "Why don't I help you boss."

"I got something guys!" Rachel exclaimed as she ran into our little cubicle. "The laptop was wiped for the most part, like totally wiped and unobtainable, but I did manage to get the basic information."

"You got a name?" I stood.

"Oh yea." She beamed at me, proud of her accomplishment. She handed me the piece of paper. I took it and thanked her.

"I'll get right on that, Nico, you coming?"

"On your 6!"

"CSI!" I yelled, busting the door of a motel open without knocking. There was an old guy around 50 and a woman that didn't look too much younger hunched over something on the desk. When we entered with guns pointed at them, they looked up.

The man stood slowly, and I thought he was going to go quietly, but then again when does anyone go quietly? The woman quickly pulled a gun out and shot. I heard the bullet whiz past my ear.

Thank god this lady's aim wasn't as good as mine. Nico and I immediately hid behind the bed. I didn't want to kill them, so I aimed more towards her hand in attempt to get the gun out of her hand, but it wasn't working.

Now the old man had a gun out and we had no choice. I nodded to Nico and we aimed to kill.

* * *

><p><strong>Annabeth<strong>

"It is just car Kade," I got in the driver's seat, exasperated. "Besides, I am driving."

"Now I know why he's so scared to get in it." Percy mumbled from the back seat.

I waved his comment off. "You are just mad I made you sit in the back, now, Kade get in. You wish to meet your new sister don't you?" Finally he stopped fidgeting and jumped in, I sighed in relief thinking _Finally _and started the car.

When I opened the door, I was met with a cheerful greeting of, "Hey mom, long time no see." Over the years she had gotten use to calling me 'mom'. "Who's that?"

"Madison," I pulled Kade so he was standing in front of me with my hands on his shoulders. "Meet your new little brother."

Percy and I were sitting on the couch watching Maddi and Kade play _Yahtzee! _"Come play with us mom!"

I sighed and made an over exaggerated move to sit next to Kade. "Oh alright, but you better not cheat missy."

Madison mocked hurt. "I do not cheat!"

I hummed, unconvinced. "Go ahead Kade, it is your turn." I tried for gentle as I handed him the dice. Thankfully, he took them with only a slight hesitation and I breathed a silent breath of relief.

The whole thing reminded me of a scene out of one of Percy's classical movies.

* * *

><p><strong>So, an actual back to back update...wow...I surprised myself.<strong>

**If any of you followed a story of mine called _A Star is Born, _then you'll be happy to know I am working on a sequal :) It'll be out soon enough.**

**I love hearing your opinions in reviews!**

**Always yours,**

**~Arty**


	16. Chapter 16

I hissed in pain for the third time in the ten minutes that I had been sitting down. I was attempting to clean all this annoying blood off my knife without success due to the fact everytime I cleared a spot, my own blood would replace it. Key word there, _attempting. _Why was I so distracted you may ask. Well the answer was simple.

Percy.

I bit my lip and sighed. Last night was the office Christmas party; let's just say I can roundhouse kick men five times larger and stronger than I am, but I cannot hold my liquor. From what I gathered after my intense headache and reacting ceased, Percy was being a gentleman and had brought me home. Only once we arrived however, I seduced him into bed.

Though, from the huge smile he was wearing-the only thing he was wearing by the way-while he was sleeping, it didn't look like he put up much of a fight.

So here I was, trying to get my mind off of him. Cleaning my weapons always made me focus or-right now is a perfect example-I get hurt. After the fifth cut I threw the highly decorated devil blade across the room in frustration. It wedged itself into the wall about four feet above the ground; Kade's eye level, my brain thought subconsciously almost as if a reminder to take it down before he could pull it out and play with it, which would be very bad.

Maybe I thought, I should just...give in and, for the first time in my life, not fight something that could be actually a very positive addition to my life. That's how I agreed to taking Madison in, I knew it was a bad idea but...after the first day I knew it had been a good decision; and maybe-just maybe-I could let my emotions rule my life sometimes instead of my head.

But my head had gotten me out of more life/death situations than possible to count, my emotions? They had no experience in what was good and what was a horrible idea doomed to fail. Then again, everything improves with practice...no. No. It was _not _a good idea.

Period.

I could not get attached, my deadline was nearly up. Oh god, my deadline. The point where I'm suppose to return to Israel, my family-what's left of it, and more importantly, betray all the people here I've come to love. Well ok, love is a very strong word for me considering I have only loved...about four to five people in my 29 year life span. Three of which were dead.

I shook my head and ran my hands through my rats nest mop of hair. I decided I should get ready for the day, I wanted to take the kids out ice skating today to celebrate. I didn't really do the 'Christmas' thing, I'm a Hanukkah girl, but I was going to for their sake. I even went so far as to buy a tree. We were going to decorate it when we got home with the new ornaments I planed to buy.

Chiron, bless his old heart, told me about a booth at the local mall that the kids could make their own personal ornaments at. I nearly tackled him to the ground in a hug; it was an amazing idea.

Even though Madison has been living with me for three previous Christmas holidays, she understood it wasn't in my beliefs to celebrate it, and was happily satisfied with Hanukkah's eight presents. But now that we had Kade, I wanted his first Christmas with me-us-to be as perfect as I could get it. He deserved that after everything he's gone through.

So, before I went to take a shower, I took the tree I purchased from a tree park and set it up on a stand. It was a real tree, I saw the advertisements for plastic ones, but decided to go all out with a real one.

Satisfied, I headed back into my room. As I passed them, I checked on Kade and Madison, who were snoozing happily. They were on Christmas break from school, so they didn't have to go all this week and until a week after New Years. I smiled as I thought of the friends Kade had over just the other day, he was finally accompanying himself into what I hoped would be a new, successful life. He had friends, he was finally the normal weight for a seven year old, and he didn't flinch-for the most part-when I went to take his hand or lift him into his car seat or just hug him for that matter. I was very proud of his progress.

Percy was still sleeping when I walked into my room. The sheets were pooled around his waist and he was laying on his back with his head turned to the side, half nuzzling my pillow. I found myself staring at his chest. He was very well toned, he was always at the gym when I went down to train, and it has definitely paid off.

No. I mentally slapped myself, then actually slapped my cheeks in hope it would have double the effect. It worked long enough for me to get to the shower. I sighed as the hot water pounded against my back therapeutically.

About half way through my therapy session, a knock and a muffled request came from my bedroom. I stuck my head out of the sliding door to hear it better. Percy was mumbling something I couldn't understand. "There is food in the kitchen." I called back to him before going back to my shower.

It was a total guess, but I knew him well enough that he either wanted a shower or food. I guess I was right because the knocking and grumbling ceased. I smiled lightly to myself, that boy loved his food.

Reluctantly, I turned the knob to stop the water and stepped out; drying myself off and getting dressed in a blue top, one strap hung over my shoulder on my upper bicep, and black work pants.

I walked through my room and the hallway, making my way into the kitchen. I went slowly because, I'll admit it, I didn't know what to say or how he or I would react to what I might say.

I was scared.

Which was totally irrational. I was a professional assassin, I've taken down 145+ kilogram men, but I couldn't face a crush? What was wrong with me? I took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen.

Percy was sitting at the island on a stool eating a bowl of puffed wheat-I mean...cereal. When I walked in, he looked up with a smile on his face. He stood up to meet me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

I hesitated, placing my hands on his shoulders. "Good morning beautiful." Percy mumbled between kisses to my neck.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and took a dive into dangerous waters. I lifted Percy's head up and kissed him fully on the lips. When I pulled back, he had the widest smile on his face. As if he was scared I would change my mind, Percy kissed me again.

"Momma?" A tired voice came from behind me. I pulled away from Percy and turned around. Kade was shuffling out of his room, rubbing his eyes and holding a stuffed robot I had gotten him at one point. I know, a stuffed robot? Americans make plush toys out of everything these days.

I jumped. "Yes sweetie?" I asked.

"What's for bwreakfast?" I walked over to him and picked him up. He may be regular weight for a seven year old, but he was still on the light side, only about 45 so I could still lift him easily.

"Well, you can have cereal like Percy, or I can make you pancakes, waffles, eggs..." I trailed off, setting him down on the island. I put an arm on either side of him and leaned down lightly so I could look him in the eyes.

He seemed to think about it for a moment, looking over at the oven then to Percy's half eaten bowl. Suddenly his face lit up. "I want cereal, like Percy!"

I smiled and gently moved him down to the stool next to Percy to go get him a bowl. I watched as the two ate. Percy was talking to me about something but I wasn't really paying attention, I was too busy watching Kade imitate every move Percy made. It was quite amusing actually.

About ten minutes later, Maddi walked in fully dressed. She walked over to me and gave me hug. "What's for breakfast?" She asked.

"Well, you can have cereal..." I trailed off, looking at the boys.

Madison looked at them then turned back to me. "I'll get the batter, you get the iron."

I chuckled lightly and moved to a lower cabinet. "Wait, you make waffles from scratch?" Percy asked in surprise.

I bent down to get the waffle iron out, still feeling his eyes on me on a place I was going to hit him for looking at later, before answering him. "Yes, how else do you make them?"

Percy muttered something but didn't say anything. I hummed in victory, taking the freshly made batter from Madison.

"I need to talk to you." Percy said as I walked around the store. The kids were making ornaments, there are no words that could describe their excitement when I told them my plans for an actual Christmas.

"What about?" I asked as I looked through model cars that Kade was interested in.

"Last night...this morning..." He trailed off, keeping his eyes distinctly focused on my every move.

"You should have seen the way Kade was copying yo-" I stopped my sentence abruptly when I was pressed against the shelves and his face invaded my personal bubble. He stared at me as if he expected me to say something. I glared back at him and kept my face blank as he shifted under it uncomfortably.

"I need to know where I stand." He said finally, leaning down to press his forehead against mine. I closed my eyes, but said nothing. Hands wrapped around my upper arms and squeezed lightly to get my attention. Hesitantly I let them flutter open and stared into his sea green orbs. "Annabeth."

"I-" I swallowed my voice crack before it could embarrass me. "Percy...I cannot-"

"But you can!" His grip on my arms became tighter to get his point across and his eyes searched mine. "Just say what you feel Annabeth, stop keeping it all bottled in."

"I really cannot-" Frustrated, Percy smashed his lips against mine.

"Annabeth," He whispered, forehead pressed against mine once more. "I've fallen in love with you, I can't help it, but I need to know if you return it. Or even if you don't, I just have to know!"

I was fully aware that we were in the toy aisle and any young boy could run into it at any moment looking for a car and finding two adults having a moment. I couldn't delay this anymore than necessary in case we were kicked out, I still have a lot of shopping to do. Plus, this confrontation was inevitable I suppose.

"Percy, I-I do, but. No, I cannot. I am so very sorry."

"Momma! Come look at my ornament!" I broke away from Percy's grip before he could register what was going on.

* * *

><p><strong>So I thought I posted this a week ago...and I hadn't...so...yeah. Sorry about that.<strong>

**Yours,  
><strong>

**~Arty  
><strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**For those of you who like to constantly remind me this is like NCIS, ding ding ding! **

_**DUH! **_

**That's kinda what I was _going for. _So congratulations on pointing out the obvious. I put something in just for you people in this chapter.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

><p>I was typing on my computer when an instant message came up on the screen. <em>'Time is running out.' <em>

"What was that?" Percy looked up at me from his own computer.

I nearly jumped, I hadn't realized I had my sound on and that they all probably heard the message come in. "Oh, nothing. Just a message."

Nico and Chiron waved it off, continuing to work on whatever they were, but Percy was intrigued by my sudden popularity. "From who?"

I glared at him, it was none of his business who was messaging me and who I was talking to. Even if it was just my father. "You do not need to know."

His green eyes widened and he put his hands up in surrender. I nodded in approval and went to answer my dad. My fingers hesitated over the keys, what was I honestly going to say? _'Thanks for the heads up!'_ ?

No.

'_How long?' _ I decided on, making sure to type in Hebrew so Percy's wondering eyes wouldn't understand what we were talking about. It was a moment before received an answer. _'Three days, tops.' _

I brought a hand up to my spinning head; that was so soon! How did he expect me to wrap up all the loose ends by then? The kids were my biggest problem, then the condo I suppose I could just leave that since I paid rent with cash every month.

'_I need to talk to you.' _I typed, knowing he wouldn't understand if I tried to tell him over the computer.

Sighing, I closed my IM and stood up. "I am taking my lunch break." I informed my co-workers and left before they could respond.

I closed the door to the condo, taking out my new cell phone to dial my father's desk number. "Navah, what is this issue you are having with your time limitation?" He answered on the second ring without so much as a hello, instead with annoyance.

"Aba," I stopped, rubbing my eyes. "I am so sorry, but what about the two children? I cannot leave them, they are not fit to live on their own or with anyone else-what do you wish me to do?" I'm sure I sounded like a scared child, but I could care less; I needed my father's advice.

I heard his sigh on the other end, he shushed in attempt to calm me. "No Navah, this is not your fault; it is mine. I told Celev to make you convince them that you were there to stay, and you did just that. I am very proud of you, and..." He trailed off; knowing from experience, I waited for him to continue. "I want you to bring them."

"Bring them?" My eyebrows went up. "You are sure?"

"Yes Nav, legally they are your children now, which makes them my grandchildren. I wish to meet the fine children I have heard so very much about."

I was surprised by the amount of emotion in his voice, and too shocked to disagree with him, I nodded. Then I realized he couldn't see me. "Ken aba, toda." _Yes father, thank you._

He grunted in response, probably catching the emotion himself. "Three days, I will send you an email with more information. Shalom bat." _Goodbye daughter._

"Shalom." As soon as I brought the phone down, it started ringing again. "Chase." I had gotten use to using my new name instead of my real one.

"Hey mom!"

"Madison? How are you-Did something happen? Are you alright? Is Kade-"

She laughed. "Chill mom, I'm fine. Kade and I were wondering if you have lunch free."

I smiled. "I am on my way."

Walking into the front office, I looked around for the two children but saw nothing. I heard shifting behind me and smirked. Just for laughs, I kept looking with my back to them, ignoring the obnoxious noises the two of them were making in attempt to sneak up on me.

When the whoosh of air passed my ear, I twitched out of the way and watched as a young boy fell to the ground. There was movement to my right, which was now my back, and I slid to the left.

A second body joined the laughing pile. "You are going to have to try much harder than that," I pulled them up. "If you want to pull the cloth over my eyes."

Madi laughed, "Wool, mom. Let's go, I'm starving!" She grabbed my hand and began pulling me out the door. I had just enough time to grab Kade's hand and heave him from the floor before I was whisked away by my excited daughter.

* * *

><p>It was Thursday now, the day before my father was going to send me an email. I walked into work after dropping the kids off at school to find my three co-workers rushing about within their desks. I set my bag down and looked for one of them to explain.<p>

Chiron finally did as he finished his rifling. "One of our agents was found murdered in his home."

I grabbed the keys to one of the cars from my desk and my coat. I threw the keys to Percy and followed the three males out of the building. We arrived at a two story Victorian house ten minutes later. James was already there. "Talk to me James." Chiron called as he walked through the door.

"Well, cause of death was this shot to the head. These two shots to the chest were done post mortem at very close range. Overkill if you ask me." He pulled a thermometer from the dead body. "Time of death is about...9 this morning."

"That might be why I didn't see him at the coffee shop before work today." Percy commented from a few feet away where he was taking pictures of the body so James could get it out of the house. We all turned and looked at him, glaring in my case. "Right, not the time. Sorry."

I rolled my eyes but before I could say anything, I heard a commotion outside. I turned on my heel and walked out to see what all the arguing was about. Sure enough, there were four people in a heated discussion with the police guarding the yellow tape line.

Sighing, I strode over, assuming they were just some grieving friends.

**No one's POV**

Gibbs was about ready to pull his sig on the two buffoons in front of him, they were worse than DiNozzo, and that's saying something. "NCIS, let us in." He repeated for the thousandth time. The goon on the left opened his mouth to continue arguing, but a woman's voice sounded from behind them and made them stop cold.

"Everything alright over here?" She had an accent all four agents recognized immediately.

"N-No problems M-Miss Chase. These bystanders are trying to get in, keep flashing badges and saying 'NCIS'; whatever that is." The right cop stuttered and cringed away from the young blond.

She remained calm, like his behavior wasn't out of the ordinary, and raised an eyebrow. "NCIS?"

"Navel-" Tony began to recite the anagram but was promptly cut off by a sharply risen hand.

"I know what it means. Why are you here?" Annabeth clarified her original meaning, slightly annoyed.

"The dead man," The grey haired man in the very front grunted. "He's navy."

"That may be true," She said, recalling that Chrion had told her he was once a Marine as well as an ex-agent of NCIS. "But he is currently our director's assistant, and it is vital we find his killer soon."

"And what government branch are you from?" The tall brown haired man she interrupted before asked snidely, like he already knew the answer. "FBI? Where's Fornell?" He looked around her and above her head, not hard for his height advantage, trying to locate the agent he spoke of.

"Who is Fornell?" Annabeth shook her head. "Nevermind, I do not care to know." She started to walk away, when the chubbier male spoke up.

"Wait!" The blond turned around. "What branch are you from?" He repeated the question, if only to keep her there longer and maybe let them in.

Deciding it would just be easier to answer him, Annabeth walked the ten steps back to the 'DO NOT CROSS' line. "Criminal Investigative Service."

"CSI?" Tony exclaimed, totally surprised, exchanging looks with his co-workers.

"If that is all...?" Annabeth trailed off, hoping they would just wave her off in their confusion.

Unfortunately, the dark haired woman-who hadn't spoken a word since her arrival, did noticed. Not only did she notice, but the whole time the blond had been interacting with her male partners, the gears in her head were turning. "Navah?"

Four sets of eyes were on her after her random outburst, three confused and one almost horrified. "I do not know what you are-" The blond stopped talking suddenly, recognition making her face go slack. "Ziva?"

Both Israelis smiled at each other, for the rest of her team, one of the biggest smiles they've gotten out of the woman for years. Ziva ducked under the yellow line and did something that surprised the men behind her.

She hugged the woman.

Annabeth was ecstatic about seeing her old mentor again, the last time she had was close to five or so years between. The older woman pulled back first. "How are your brothers? And Noam, has he gotten his first assignment yet? How is your father?" She rambled off questions. All of which made the blond relive horrible memories she had been trying to forget.

Ziva noticed her friend's sadness right away, pulling her chin up so their faces met again. "What is wrong? What happened?"

"Noam got his first assignment." She said simply, looking down again.

"Loir?"

Annabeth paused before she looked off to the side in shame and disappointed in herself. "Terminated."

Ziva embraced her once more quickly, placing her at arm's length. "By whom?"

The men behind the two Mossad officers glanced at each other, very much confused and interested at the same time as they listened for the next response. Grey eyes hardening, she answered. "Me."

"Ziver...?" The grey haired man trailed off, wordlessly demanding an explanation.

The brown haired woman glanced back at the men, then to the younger girl in front of her. "We will continue this later. Now, let us in."

**Annabeth**

I sighed. I knew Chiron wouldn't be happy about me letting more investigators in, but decided it would at least make them go away. "Alright, follow me." I lead them inside the house and to my leader. "Chiron, visitors." Without saying any more, I wondered off to help Nico.

The old man turned around from talking to crying woman, his solemn face lit up. "Leroy, old man! How are you?" The two men shook hands.

"Whoa, am I the only one here who _doesn't _know someone!?" The brown haired man from before exclaimed.

"What brings you here?" Chiron continued, ignoring the outburst. I quietly listened in.

"Your dead agent is ex-navy." He said simply like that was all that he needed to say.

"Ah, so you want to take over." Huh, maybe that is all he had to say. Leroy nodded. "How about a joint investigation? He had very high clearance in our department."

Reluctantly, he agreed. "Alright, for old time's sake." They shook hands again. "DiNozzo! McGee! David!" I laughed as the two males rushed to obey and Ziva followed calmly behind them.

* * *

><p>"Seriously! There's like one of us reincarnated on your team!" Tony waved his hands around to get his point across. "Look, Annabeth is the Ziva, Percy is the me, Nico is the McGee, and Chiron is the Gibbs!" He leaned back against Percy's desk and crossed his arms across his chest with a satisfied expression.<p>

Ziva and I rolled our eyes, he has been trying to convince us of the similarities between our two teams since we arrived at the CSI office so Chiron, Leroy, Joy, and the other director could talk about the details of the case.

The six of us were waiting in our cubicle, talking. Or really, Tony was.

"Really? How?" Nico challenged. Ziva groaned next to me, sending me a look like '_Here we go'. _

"Well the obvious, Ziva and Annabeth are both Mossad!"

"Not anymore." We chorused.

Tony merely rolled his eyes and waved it off. "They're the ninjas of the groups! And it's pretty obvious Percy and I are the bad boys." He rapidly moved a finger between him and my partner. I let out an amused laugh.

"Yeah, sure."

Ignoring my comment, he continued, but Percy glared at me. I winked jokingly back. "Nico is your computer geek, I can tell."

"Am not!" He protested, his black hair moved in front of his face making him look younger than he was.

"We all know about computers equally." I translated. "Anything we cannot decipher is sent to Rachel."

"Who's Rachel?" Tim asked.

"Our lead scientist." Percy answered.

Before Tony could say something about it, Piper handed me a piece of folded paper. "Here's the subpoena for DNA tests Annie." Under some mental blank, I had allowed her to call me Annie. I nodded in thanks. She was about to go when she noticed the new faces. "Who are your new friends guys?"

Tony enthusiastically strode up to her. "Hi, I'm DiNozzo, Tony DiNozzo."

Piper laughed, picking up on his flirting right away. "I have a boyfriend Tony, but it's nice to meet you."

McGee stood next as Tony's chest deflated and he stalked back to a laughing Percy. "Tim McGee, pleasure."

"Hiya Tim, and you are?" She turned to Ziva who introduced herself. "Hey you have the same accent as Annabeth!"

"Yes, we were childhood friends." Ziva gave the brunette a half smile. I suppose that wasn't a complete lie, I was a kid when she was teaching me how to kill.

"That's amazing! I mean how often do you meet someone from your past that you haven't seen in like forever?" Piper kept rambling on, I smiled lightly at her. Ziva raised her eyebrow at me with an amused and questioning smile. I just shrugged lightly back with my own quarter smile.

Just as they were about to dive into another conversation, Chiron and Leroy walked into our now limited space. Piper quickly made herself scarce. "Get use to each other, this is going to be a long case." He told us, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"DiNozzo, McGee, find a desk and get to work. David, Chase, come with me." I looked at Ziva in confusion but she was already on her feet and following the grey haired man. I sighed and moved to catch up with them.

"What are we doing?" I asked my friend.

She shrugged. "Just follow." However, she looked a little confused herself when her boss led us into an empty room. "Gibbs?"

"You two are going to be doing something more classified." My eyebrow cocked up. "When Chiron said he had high clearance, he was naive. This man had one of the highest levels of clearance I have seen in a long time. You two need to find out why."

"Why us?" I questioned with my arms folded over my chest. I don't do well with direct instructions from a stranger, especially one who thinks he can just come in and control me.

"You are the best at what you do." He responded easily, like he expected me to rebuttal and knew exactly what to say.

My mouth opened on reflex but no sound came out in shock. Finally I decided to just agree and nodded along with Ziva. Satisfied, Leroy motioned behind him at the rest of the room. "All these resources are at your disposal. We'll keep you in the loop." With that, he left.

I sighed, sitting down at the closest computer. "What do we do now?" I asked, looking up at my friend from a much lower plane.

She shrugged, "Get to work, he is going to come back and expect something."

I sighed, this was going to be hell.

* * *

><p><strong>So speaking of hell, I've been living in my own personal version recently, which is why I haven't updated.<strong>

**I could go into details, but basically my grandmother died, and it hit me hard. Plus, seeing dead bodies may be easy to write about, but it's nothing like seeing them in person; even if she was all dressed up.**

**Plus, I had a 2 week camp, in addition to the funeral, visitation, and burial; I've been swamped. Nor in the mood to write, which I'm still not really in yet.**

**I hope you guys like the story enough to be patient with me.**

**Yours always,**

**~Arty**


	18. Chapter 18

**So school starts tomorrow, which means I won't have time to do like anything...**

* * *

><p><strong>Percy's POV<strong>

I watched as Annabeth and her scary friend left with the Gibbs guy. I couldn't help myself from staring at her butt, but as quickly as I realized I was doing it, I shook my head and looked away. Unfortunately it didn't go unnoticed by Tony.

"What do we have so far?" Chiron asked before he could comment.

No one answered, so I decided to voice our thoughts. "His wife had been out of town for three days and wasn't scheduled to get back for another two, um, no one in the neighborhood heard the gunshots...and...yeah that's all we got."

"That's it!?" He exclaimed.

I cringed slightly, it _was_ pretty pathetic. "Well we just got back, Chiron, Rachel hasn't sent up any results from the fingerprints, fluids, blood, and neither has James."

My boss sighed and ran his hands through his short hair. "Alright, background information; cell phone recents, bank accounts, coworkers, Percy call the wife, anything!"

We all exchanged a quick inventory of who would do what and Nico and I went to work, Tony and Tim just stood there awkwardly. "So, where are we supposed to go?" Tim asked.

Chiron answered for me, "Find a desk, there are plenty."

There was a slight pause before, "I call Annabeth's desk!" Tony scrambled to grab my partner's chair and sit down.

"Good luck," I laughed.

Tony paused, "Good luck?"

"She changed the language on her computer, it's all in Hebrew. Trust me, I know."

He sighed and moved to sit at a desk a few feet away from Nico, next to Tim. I chuckled to myself and pulled up a list of his recent calls. It was a few minutes before I saw something. "Hey guys, there's a number here that recurs several times a day. Some chick."

"I'll go question her," Nico held his hand out, I gave him a print out of her contact stuff and started up on his work. "Thanks."

"Whoa, why didn't you go?" Tony asked, strangely surprised.

I shrugged. "Not that big on this whole, moving thing."

"Are you kidding? Did you see her picture? She's hot dude, that would get me off my ass in a second." I shrugged again, not really knowing how to respond. "Hey, what's going on with Annabeth? I saw you checking her out."

My head snapped up, expecting a comment from Chiron, only he wasn't there. He must have left at one point, but I was glad so I wasn't getting in trouble for fraternizing with the girl he thinks of as a daughter.

"I like her," I admitted, sighing. "But she's not into relationships."

"That's rough man." Was all he said before we went back to silence as we worked.

'_You have no idea._'

* * *

><p><strong>Annabeth's POV<strong>

I sighed as information flashed across my screen, my hand pressed against my cheek allowing my head to rest comfortably as I watched. "How do we even know what we are looking for?"

Ziva cracked an amused smile. "You never were very patient as a child. We are looking for anything that may seem helpful to the investigation." I groaned and sat back. "I felt the same frustration when I first came to the states."

"What?" I looked over at the older woman.

She didn't take her eyes off the computer as she talked. "When I first arrived in America, and I was doing desk work or anything else that was not exceptionally hands on, it made me frustrated. Like the daily killing was a habit and I _needed _to do it, to keep myself sane."

I nodded in agreement. "The same is for me, it has been tolerable the longer I stayed, but it still feel like assassination is a part of me." She nodded with me but didn't give a response.

I looked to my computer just as something passed over the screen that caught my attention. I sat up and brought it back. Ziva noticed my sudden pep and questioned what I had found, but I was too engrossed to answer her.

"Navah! Chas veShalom!" _God forbid! _"What did you find!"

"Look," I broke out of my trance and pointed to the document. "It is a digital log of his passport."

"And?"

"And...see the dates?" Ziva scanned the page but still looked at me in confusion. "They correspond with the assassination of famous dignitaries. In classes, we honored this mysterious killer; how whoever it was could get in and out without leaving any trace. Look, he was in France the day before, of, and after the French ambassador to India was killed."

"Right before the major trade agreement-I remember."

"Then in Portugal two days before and day of when the diplomat to China was assassinated."

Ziva moved so she was behind me. "What else?"

"Well...it pretty much goes in the same pattern, he was never in a country for more than three days and most the time it was before a major death." I paused. "Oy va'avoi li." _Oh my god._

"What?" Ziva smacked me in the shoulder. "Tell me."

"He, well, he was in Israel the same time an important official died."

"Who?"

* * *

><p>I had to drag her out, but Ziva and I made our way back to the guys to tell them about what we found. When we got there, Leroy and Chiron were huddled around his computer while the four boys were all working on theirs.<p>

Everyone looked up when we shuffled into the cubby space. "Did you find something already?" Chiron asked, surprised.

I nodded, looking over at my friend. "Do you want me to tell them?" Ziva moved her head in an attempt to agree but was pretty much still in to much shock to fully answer. "The man we have in our morgue was-for lack of a better description-an assassin for the United States, starting when he was in the Marines ten years ago. You are all familiar with the first victim, Eli David?"

The three outside agents all stopped. "He killed Eli? And the government knew about it? Then why did they let us investigate it?" Tony spit out questions and looked at me to answer them for some reason.

I shrugged. "All I remember from that time was being able to see my friend again and my father taking his place."

Everyone was quiet for a long time, and I don't blame them, it was a huge shock to me to find out that the United States had ordered the murder of all these dignitaries. Granted, Mossad wasn't much different, but we didn't do it to stop trade agreements to make sure Israel stayed a world power.

"I think it would be smart to put this back in the file case." Chiron stood. "There is no use in investigating this murder without the news of the assassinations getting out to the offended countries and starting an all out world war against America. It was a pleasure meeting you all, Leroy." The two men walked to the elevators and disappeared.

I sighed and started to gather my things. "I have to go."

My statement seemed to break the boys out of the spell they had fallen under. "Why?" Tony inquired.

"School's over," Percy answered. "She has to pick Madison and Kade up."

"Who?" Came yet another brilliant question.

"My children, you coming Ziva?"

"Of course." She grabbed her own jacket and we left together. Behind me I could hear Percy say _'adopted'_. "I am very excited to meet these two." Ziva said as we walked out of the building.

I nodded. "They will love to meet you."

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to stay strong.<strong>

**I hope you liked the chapter, I couldn't resist adding the actual NCIS team in, plus it kinda leads into the next huge event that is to come in the next chapter or two. You're going to love it.  
><strong>

**Always yours,  
><strong>

**~Arty  
><strong>


	19. Chapter 19

I smiled into the rear view mirror as Madison was rambling on about how cool Ziva while Kade played with one of her knives, like he does with mine. I easily pulled into the condo's parking lot within ten minutes and the kids eagerly jumped out to race inside.

Ziva and I walked behind them just a bit slower, taking the time to talk and catching up. Just as we got to the door, my phone dinged with a new email so I gave the key to Madi and moved to look at it; away from even the trusted eyes of my mentor.

Thankfully she understood and brought the kids inside. I leaned against the door and opened my mail app. The new message, I recognized, was from my father's personal email. I tapped the screen to look at it even though I already knew the information it was going to contain.

Just as I expected, it was details on when and where to meet the helicopter that would bring us to Israel. I had told the kids about the move a few days ago and they were all for it, I just haven't told them about the huge possibility of staying there and never coming back. Don't look at me like that, I was going to tell them...eventually.

I finally walked in the living room and cracked a small smile at the kids messing around with Ziva. Most of the female assassins were great with kids, having assumed the responsibility of training new recruits, like me, since we were no more than five or so. Some younger, some older, most don't start until eight or so, but those like me were special and started earlier.

Ziva was about ten years older than me, and obviously couldn't train me while she was still being trained herself, so our interaction didn't come until I was at least thirteen. We had been very good friends since, and I hadn't decided yet if I was going to tell her about the 'vacation'.

The four of us spent the next couple of hours together, playing board games the kids efficiently beat us at because we hadn't completely understood them, watched television, and just all around had a good time. This was the type of fun that I missed from a normal family and that I could really get use to.

At about eleven at night, after we had worked together to put the kids to sleep in record time, Ziva and I sat on the couch with some tea. For a while we just sat there and drank in a comfortable silence, but I couldn't stand it so I decided it was now or never and brought up the move.

"I am moving back to Israel." I've never been one to beat about the shrub.

Like it would for anyone, the statement not only broke the comfortable silence but was not what she expected me to say. Carefully placing the fragile cup onto the table, Ziva turned to me. "I would love to go back, to stay and live with my-our people again."

I nodded, not very surprised at all that was all she decided to say. "I want to bring the children with me as well."

Ziva nodded in agreement, "Chiron will certainly be losing one amazing detective."

I chuckled a bit. "I was never very good at it, I think I will stick to killing people."

With a pause, Ziva sent me a look. "You are re-joining Mossad?"

I sighed. Did I want to tell her? _Could _I tell her? She was a Mossad agent, if not anymore, and had been part of thousands of undercover missions in her years. But, at the same time, she has also been an ex-agent for a good ten years.

Eventually I decided not to tell her about the sting and made up a believable lie, which I've had a ton of practice on and was pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. "I am still young, and I feel I would go crazy doing nothing at all."

Ziva nodded. "I cannot say anything I suppose, I joined back for a period after a few years as well. It felt nice to be back in my own field of expertise. Are you still going to take the kids?"

"Of course," I answered without missing a beat. "They are very excited about visiting the 'homeland'." I laughed at the description Madison had gave me when I told them about it; Ziva joined me.

"Well at least they are happy about it." She stood and helped me clean up all the dishes. "I must be going, I have to make it down to the Navy Yard to do some paperwork before tomorrow morning. It was very nice to see you again Navah, and I hope we can see each other again before you leave."

I nodded, keeping the fact I was leaving tomorrow to myself. I drove her back to the office where her car was and we exchanged our goodbyes. I allowed her to hug me once more before retreating to my car.

When I returned home again, I cleaned up our cups and the teapot. After everything was taken care of, I retired to my bedroom; stripping today's work clothes and donning my sleepwear that, I hate to admit it, but consisted of a shirt Percy left that went down to my knees and a pair of very short shorts that disappeared under it.

I fell asleep wrapped in the sent of the only thing-person-I was going to regret leaving behind.

I was jarred out of my slumber by a rasping knock on the front door. I was fully up for just letting whoever decided to wake me up stand outside forever, but if I didn't stop them, they were going to wake the kids. So, being the amazing mother I am, I rolled out of bed to answer the door.

Groaning as I trudged toward the door, I tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes in attempt to make myself look half way presentable. When I opened the door, I groaned again at the person standing there. "What do you want?"

His face broke out in his signature smirk. "I thought you'd be totally siked to see me!" Percy took a moment took look at my outfit. "Is that my shirt?"

I rolled my eyes and walked away from him, back to my room to change. I stopped in the middle of my room when I felt like I was being watched. Of course, when I turned, Percy was leaning against my door frame. "I am going to change." I told him.

"So?"

I glared at him. "So...leave!"

Percy laughed but didn't make any attempt to move. "It's not like I haven't seen what's under _my _shirt before."

My glare turned to ice as I turned away from him to pull off the shirt. I could almost hear his disappointment when the lack of shirt revealed my tank top. I slipped on a white and green jersey and shorts made of the same fabric; I think Percy called it basketball shorts. I smacked him on my way out. "Pervert."

He followed me. "Hey, are you wearing my Jets jersey?"

I shrugged. "It was in my house, so it is mine now."

"Getting it back is out of the question then." I didn't even bother answering him, I just started pulling out the last of the cereal. "I think you need to go shopping." Percy suggested as he looked at the boxes.

I snatched it from him. "I do not," I placed it back on the table and he sent me a confused look. "Chiron did not tell you then, I am taking the kids to Israel for vacation." I hesitated on the last word but he didn't notice.

"Oh, how long are you going to be over there?" He tried to pass it off but I could hear his disappointment mixed with curiosity.

"I have about two weeks saved." It wasn't a total lie, because that was true, I was just staying much longer than that.

"It's going to be boring without you here." Percy commented, playing with his hands. "What if we need you, your expertise I mean."

"Chiron will find someone." I answered blankly trying not to look at him.

"Oh," Percy frowned at his hands. "I guess so, but...you know...um..."

I rolled my eyes. "Just spit it out already!"

"Well, N-Nico and Rachel are going to miss you, and I won't hear the end of it from Piper until you get back."

"I will be sure to say goodbye to them." I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.

Percy half copied me by scratching the top of his head, sending his jet black hair in every direction; messing it up more than usual. I felt my hand twitch in want to run it through the locks.

"I uh, I'll m-miss um, messing with you in the office."

I sighed, walking around him to wake up Kade and Madison, trying to get away from the awkward situation. Gently, I shook the small boy's body. "Kade," I whispered, pushing his light blond hair our of his eyes. "It's time to wake up little guy."

The small blond emitted a reluctant groan, flipping over on his side to face me. His left eyelid opened halfway, revealing a tired baby blue eye. Slowly, he rose to a sitting position, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

I smiled. "Morning bud."

"Morning mumma." He muttered back, hugging me around the neck.

"I am going to get your sister up, you get dressed ok? It is a long flight so dress comfortably." I told him, standing up from my kneel.

I faintly heard him as I walked out of the room, "Ok mumma."

Repeating the process with my older girl was slightly more difficult, she's never been a morning bird, and it's gotten harder to get her up as she has gotten older. It took me longer, but I got her up and moving.

When I got back to the kitchen, Percy was still there, sitting at the blue marble island. "What are you still doing here?" I asked him, grabbing the several different boxes and mixing them together to fill four bowls.

"I wanted to see you off, you're leaving today, so I thought I'd...yeah." Percy's face developed a small red tint to it.

I laughed. "I suppose you could, but my father is sending a helicopter to pick us up."

Percy seemed thankful for the change of subject. "Oh yeah? Why wouldn't you use an airline?"

"It would be wasting money."

"Uh, right, of course. That makes sense." He laughed nervously. The kids came out fully dressed and hungry. They dug into two of the four bowls happily.

"Are the two of you all packed?" I watched as Percy silently took the third bowl and started eating.

"Yup!" and "Yes." Came from the two children. They finished their food soon after.

"Good, let us head out."


	20. Chapter 20

"Are we there yet?"

"Are we there yet?"

"Momma, are we there yet?"

"No Kade, for the tenth time, we are not there yet." I repeated to the two of them. They had been asking the same question in stereo after less than an hour after we had taken off. The flight takes nine hours. I could hear the two pilots chuckling to themselves, they've flown me before and they know I'm not very good in the patience department.

"How far is it?" He whined, sliding down in his chair so his chin was level with the waist safety belt.

I unbuckled him, sat him up straight, rebuckled him and sent him a sharp look to say not to do it again. Though I did ask the pilot how much time there was left before we landed, curious myself. "Half an hour Kade, just hold out a little longer."

Somehow he managed to do just that because he didn't ask again until we started our descent.

Percy

Work was so much more boring without Annabeth here, and everyone knew it. Nico seemed less cheery, Chiron talked even less than normal, and I had no one to annoy in the free time when we didn't have a case.

I mindlessly scrolled through facebook, slumped over my keyboard with my cheek resting on my hand. Randomly, I groaned out loud to alert my teammates of my boredom. "Ughh."

"You can say that again." Nico commented, rubbing his eyes from looking at the computer too long.

"Ughh." I repeated, this time letting my head fall to the desk with a thunk.

"Come now boys," Chiron chuckled lightly, amused with our actions.

"But Chiron, its so boring!" Nico defended our boredom.

"I'm sorry you feel that way boys, and expressing it through groans and comments won't make it any better." He scolded logically.

I grumbled but didn't say anything since the argument would have been pointless, despite the time it would have killed. The sharp ring of my desk phone almost popped my eardrums. "Jackson," I answered it, slightly annoyed both at the ringing in my ear and having to talk to someone that wasn't my blond partner.

"Percy," I sat up straighter in my chair at the sound of my boss's voice. Nico noticed and sent me an inquiring look, I held my finger up as I listened. "Where is Annabeth, she hasn't punched in for several days."

"Oh, she took Madison and Kade to Israel for a vacation." I sank back in my chair when I realized her reason for calling wasn't dire, Nico slumped back as well, depressed it wasn't anything important.

"Annabeth didn't have any vacation hours." Joy informed me, her tone changing.

My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "But, she told me she had two weeks."

"Percy, something is up, why would she lie and suddenly leave?"

I shook my head. "I don't have a clue ma'am."

There was a pause on the other line, like she was thinking, before I was hit with a job. "Go to the condo she's renting, check it out, you know; go through the steps."

I nodded, then vocally confirmed considering she couldn't hear me nod. "Report straight to me." I nodded again, moving to hang up, but Joy spoke again. "And there's no need to involve the rest of your team." I set the phone down on it's dock and stood up, grabbing my jacket and holstering my gun. "What's up?" Nico questioned, hope flickered on his features, looking for a distraction.

"Nothing, just running an errand for Joy." Chiron sent me a look. "Er, I mean the Director." He nodded in approval. "I'll be back soon."

I arrived at the familiar condominium a few minutes later. I made my way towards the main office where you rent condos and where the manager was. He looked up from the paperwork on his desk when I walked in. "What can I do for you young man?" The old man asked politely, folding his hands in front of him.

Pulling my badge from my wallet and showed it to him. "I just have a few questions." He nodded, straightening up in his chair. "Tell me about a tendent of yours by the name of Annabeth Chase."

A smile broke out on his wrinkled features. "Nice girl, always has two cute kids with her. I think she adopted them, such a kind heart that one has."

I nodded even though I knew all that already. "What about payment, these condos don't look cheap."

He immediately shook his head. "They aren't, I keep them well kept with the newest styles and technology." The old man nodded proudly. "But she never had problems with rent."

"How did she pay?"

The white haired man scratched above his eyebrow, he seemed hesitant. "For the first few months it was charged to a strange account, but after that she started paying it all in cash. Never missed a due date, so I didn't mind counting it all out."

I nodded again, that's what I assumed since she said her father's credit card would pay for everything she needed. The assassin card. "Did she pay this month's?" I asked, it nearing the end of November.

Again the man looked confused. "No, she hasn't, and she normally does by now."

"Thank you sir," I stood up and he mirrored me. "That's all the questions I have."

"Do you mind me asking what trouble she's gotten herself in?"

I tried for my best sincere smile. "No need to worry Mr...Vandup." With that, I took my leave. As soon as I got in my car I called up Joy.

Annabeth

"You called me abba?" I closed the door behind me as I entered my father's private office.

"Ken." He motioned to a chair in front of him without even so much as looking up. I sighed, slipping into the one farthest from him to wait; half the time he asked to see me in his office he would do paperwork for hours with me just sitting in the chair.

Surprisingly soon, my father set down his pen, moving folders around until he found the one he was looking for and tossed it on my lap. I picked it up. "What is this?"

Papa looked at me over the rim of his glasses. "Your next assignment, I would hurry if I were you, Celev is leaving soon." The thought of seeing my old partner overclouded my doubt about taking a mission.

I all but sprinted out of his office down to the loading dock for helicopters. I opened the folder to find which station we were departing from; number seven just to my right. "Took you long enough." He laughed. I turned and smiled at my brown haired friend. His hair had gotten longer and sat as a mop on his head.

I ruffled his hair. "I like when you grow your hair out," I told him, pulling his muscled arm towards the small flying machine. "Let's get going."

Percy

I stalked back and forth in front of the director's desk, trying to calm myself. "What do you mean missing?" I finally stopped, my pacing not helping like I'd hoped.

Joy sighed, running her hands over her face and into her hair as she stared at the screen. "I never said missing, Jackson." She snapped, one of her hands falling to use the mouse. "They've been duplicated."

"How could you tell, and how do you know it was her?" I made my way around her to watch her switch from screen to screen.

"Well Mr. Twenty Questions, I know because all these little '2's after the file name which means someone took the original and saved the file again. I know it was Annabeth because," She pulled up another box that showed her pitch black office, the only light coming from her computer screen. I expected to see her, considering it was her computer, but instead I saw the blond girl that's been the center of our current issues.

"What is she doing?"

Joy zoomed in just as Annabeth inserted something into the computer. "That was a flash drive." She narrated. "She moves all the files onto it and then saves them back to the computer so no one will notice they're gone."

"Except for the 2 thing."

Joy nodded. "Exactly."

I shook my head, unable to believe it, but there it was on tape. "She betrayed us." I muttered. She betrayed me.

* * *

><p><strong>Well first off, sorry for not updating in like forever. I've been like sick as hell the last two weeks, and if that wasn't bad enough, two days ago was my <strong>16th birthday** (November 1st).**

**I got to spend my 'Sweet 16' in bed with a mass of used tissues littering my floor and being ripped apart by coughing every couple seconds.  
><strong>

**Sounds fun don't it? No.  
><strong>

**I also appologize it switches POV so many times, I just couldn't think of anything else to say in each case. It's also kinda short, but like I said, I couldn't think of anything else so I figured I'd just end it like I did.  
><strong>

**Thanks for your cooperation.  
><strong>

**Always yours,  
><strong>

**~Arty  
><strong>


	21. Chapter 21

**Percy**

"Does everyone understand the plan?" Joy asked after explaining it for the thirtieth time. We all nodded and started loading up the helicopter. I took a shaky breath as I jumped in and sat in my spot. Chiron and Nico were also amongst the small squad of darkly dressed agents filing into the small plane.

I sighed and attempted to relax for the long flight but my nerves were making themselves all too known, filling my stomach with butterflies and making me restless. I took out the rumpled up piece of film and stared at it longingly.

The picture was the only one I had managed to take of Annabeth and myself. We had just returned from paperwork on a case and I had drove her to pick the kids up while her car was getting a check up. The four of us were sitting at the island, Annabeth and I helping them with their homework, actually more just Annabeth since I could hardly remember how to multiply fractions.

Anyway, I still had one of the crime scene cameras so I took a picture of us, Kade hanging on my head from across the marble table and Madison leaning on Annabeth's shoulder. My favorite part was that for that few seconds it took to take the picture, Annabeth had hung on my arm like she actually cared for me.

I learned the hard way that was all just a hoax.

When the idea of Annabeth betraying everyone in the office finally set in, well actually, I still hadn't accepted it yet; it was just too unbelievable. I didn't want to accept it, I wouldn't. She's always talking about her father bossing her around, he had to be behind this too.

Of course I told Joy that, but she had already started assembling the 'hit squad' to go to Israel. She shooed me off, saying the President had sequenced this and it wasn't going to change because of some silly hunch I had.

I sighed again, shifting my position when my butt had gone numb, the hard metal floor of the helicopter wasn't doing much for my back and rear end. "Calm down man." Nico muttered next to me, purposely keeping his voice down so the unfamiliar bodies accompanying us couldn't hear even above the roar of the propellor blades.

"I can't." I grumbled back, the increasingly familiar feeling coming back in my stomach.

After a second of hesitation, he asked, "Is it about, you know who?"

I took my time before I answered back. "Yeah."

Nico didn't answer for a long time, when I looked over he was staring at his hands. Feeling my gaze, my black haired co-worker glanced up. "I'm sorry." He offered. I nodded weakly and we fell into a silence for the rest of the ride.

**Annabeth**

It was nearly four in the morning when I arrived back at base. I shushed Celev as we exited the aircraft warehouse, nearing the housing units. He was still boasting about killing our target, the actual action always being a race between the two of us.

"I mean, the guard was like 'Who's there!'" He went on, copying the deep voice of one of the guards that patrolled the grounds of the wealthy man our father had some reason to kill. "And I hid behind the lion!" Celev lost himself in a fit of laughter.

"And I in the fountain." I added, wringing out my hair as we entered the washrooms for post mission clean up.

My partner started laughing all over again. "Your face after you emerged was quite humorous." I grumbled, closing the door to the shower stall. "You are just irritated you were caught and I was not."

I waved him off even though he couldn't see me, stripping down and turning on the hot water. "I was merely preventing you from being discovered."

Celev snorted. "Right." The noise of his own shower added to mine.

"You were!" I retorted over the roar of the water smashing against the plastic floor. "The guard was that close to rounding your lion statue. If I had not stepped in to distract him, you would have been run through with his saber."

"I bet he enjoyed chasing a soaking wet intruder around." He commented and I could almost hear the sarcastic smile he was probably wearing. "Especially with that shirt."

I groaned thinking about the see through material. "Shut up." I muttered, barely hearing myself over all the surrounding noise. His laughter seeped over, making me even more annoyed by the large ego my partner possessed.

Getting I was ticked enough, the rest of our showers were spent in silence. Naturally, I finished before him like I always do after missions and dressed quickly, going out to the mirrors to brush my hair.

**Percy**

The helicopter landed several miles away from the large stone maze I was told was the building we were going to infiltrate. The ten or so of us filed out of the cramped vessel, the unknown males wasted no time in unloading equipment and starting towards the small black outline of the fortress in the distance.

"We're walking?" I asked, slightly flabbergasted and thinking of the couple miles at least we were away.

"Yes." One of them confirmed with little to no emotion, and not really caring if my friends and I were behind them, started off towards their destination. I shared a look with Nico through the darkness, hardly seeing his shrug before he jumped to catch up with the retreating figures on the horizon.

I sighed, it's going to be a long walk.

The three darkly dressed wannabe ninjas stopped us as we came upon one of the several buildings laid out on the huge property. They didn't say anything, communicating in a strange code of hand gestures.

Chiron watched carefully, but of course he knew the secret language, Nico's face changed between confused and understanding; I seemed to be the only one who had no idea what was going on.

Soon after the three of them sprinted toward the closest building. Chiron quickly followed so Nico and I had no choice but to go as well, after all, what else were we going to do? Play Craps while we wait?

Arriving at a large, thick, heavy looking metal door, more hand gestures were exchanged while the third guy went to work on the door lock. There was no way he was going to pick that lock, I don't even think was in Annabeth's skillset, before a guard made his way over and saw us.

Ok, the guard system was so Medieval Times. There were four guards that circled the perimeter of the flat, square roof of every building on the property. It reminded me of the old castles with knights clanking around and keeping watch.

Just as the shadow of the approaching guard started to become visible, there was a small 'click' and the door popped open. Our group quickly slipped inside, I stopped the door before it crash shut and edged it closed gently. The ninjas glared at me; I frowned, I was helping and they thought I was doing something to hinder our work?

More gestures were exchanged before the three of them raced off down one of the four hallways. Chiron stayed with us. "What were they saying?" Nico whisper-asked.

"They said to split up, they're going north," He paused to point the direction where they had rushed off. "I'm going west, Nico go east." Without saying anything to me, he headed down the hall to the left I'm assuming was west. Nico and I shared a look before he shrugged and quietly slipped behind me to go down the adjacent passageway.

"Guess I'm going this way..." I muttered to myself, turning to use the only remaining option. I kept close to the wall of the almost pitch black corridor, not quite running but too paranoid to walk. There were a few halls connecting off the one I was currently going through but I didn't think too much about them as I passed quickly.

Soon after traveling down the dark tunnel, I came to a huge aircraft holder warehouse. There was nothing here besides several billions of dollars in flying machines and a sleeping guard so I turned around, walking much slower to listen for any voices coming from the connecting hallways.

The first few of them had no sign of any activity until I came to a door that sounded like a shower was going from behind. I stopped and listened more carefully and I found I could hear someone humming.

Quietly, I cracked the door open. The warmth of steam from the shower hit my face, making my skin tingle as water vapor collected around my cheeks. There was a wall hiding me from whoever was in this bathroom so I slipped in.

Inching forward so I could see the line of sinks through the first few mirrors, my breath caught in my throat. The girl who plagued my thoughts for the previous months was standing in the middle of the long line of reflecting surfaces brushing her blond hair that was more brown and flat because of the water from her shower that must have ended not long ago by her tank top and short shorts.

I recognized the song she was humming as one of many I had sung out of tune and off key to her in the car on the way to work just to annoy her because her car was out to the shop and she had no other option to get to the office.

Suddenly, the second shower shut off behind her. A few moments transpired with a ton of shuffling around before the sound of a curtain moving and Annabeth turned to glance over her shoulder. A second went by when no emotion crossed her face before she shrieked, trying to cringe away as someone or something was being thrown at her which confused me because I threw a pencil at her once during a dead period and even with her back to me, earphones in, she caught it and threw it back at me. That thing almost stabbed me where the sun don't shine, and I think she planned that.

I clenched my fist around the tiles as a tan, muscular, _shirtless, wet,_ male with only his boxers on grabbed her around the waist and spun her around making her laugh uncontrollably. I heard a protective growl slip out of my lips and before I could stop myself, I was stalking around the porcelain tiled corner to announce my presence.

The unknown man I was ready to shoot through the head noticed me first, stopping dead in his tracks and slowly setting the confused blond down. She had her back to me so she didn't know why the guy had stopped until she noticed he was staring at me, a blank expression not surprised or horrified like I'd hoped.

Annabeth's reaction was much different, the first time I've ever seen her surprised about anything. "Percy?" Her voice was harsh and accusing but I didn't let my expression change, almost competing with the stone face of her _friend._

Apparently not enjoying the silence, she leaped forward to take my upper arm in an iron grip, retching me out of the bathroom so fast it took a second for my eyes to catch up with my body. "What are you doing here?" The blond snarled in an angry whisper.

"And I thought you were going to be happy to see me." I grumbled, holding my dizzy head. A small fist contacted with my chest, but either she was losing her touch or all the workouts were finally paying off because it didn't hurt nearly as much as I remember.

"This is not the time to make fun! How you get here, how did you get in in the first place?" A flicker of confusion crossed her face as she obviously thought of the huge door we had entered through. Suddenly the situation at hand pushed through my jealousy that clouded my judgment before. I frowned. "What?"

"It's 'not the time to joke', but is there anywhere else we can talk more...privately?" I leaned forward to get closer incase the guy we left in the bathroom was eavesdropping. Annabeth's lips pulled into a tight, white line as she nodded, thankfully getting that I was serious this time. With an annoyed 'Come.', she grabbed my hand and dragged me through the confusing twists and turns of the maze of hallways like they were the back of her hand, but all I could think of was how soft her hands were.

The next thing I knew, I was being thrust into a small room with a twin bed on one side and a bunk bed parallel to it with only a few feet of space between them, not that I minded because the lack of space forced the blond to be close to me. "I like this room." I joked, pulling her slim figure into my arms.

Annabeth brought a hand up to her forehead but actually leaned into me. "Percy..." She sighed, I was happy there was no annoyance in it, just exhaustion. I pulled her closer. "What are you doing here?"

"Aren't you glad to see me? We didn't exactly get to say goodbye..." I trailed off, pressing my forehead to hers. Her grey eyes met my green and for the third time today I witnessed something I've never seen Annabeth do, her eyes sparkled with sadness in the dim light.

"My father sent an urgent call." She looked down, playing with the hem of my black cotton t-shirt. Inside I was celebrating my genius since that's what my solution was, but on the outside I stayed impartial, waiting for her to elaborate on it.

When she didn't I pulled her down to sit sideways on my lap while I sat on the bed, wrapping my arms around her as she set her head hesitantly on my shoulder. "Why didn't you come back when you were done? Why did you lie about vacation? Why-"

"Percy!" Her quick shreek made me stop. "When I came out of my shower I did not expect to play '30 Questions'!"

"20 Questions." I corrected but apologized upon seeing her annoyed glare. "I'm sorry, I just...I want to know...finding out you left and being forced to conduct an investigation...it..." I frowned, I've never been good at expressing how I felt, and Annabeth was no way better at it than I was. "It hurt."

"Is this a therapy session?" I almost laughed at how now she was joking and I was the one trying to be serious. She sighed after I didn't answer her. "Percy I know I left a little abruptly but I do not have to check in with you every time I have to go somewhere."

Obviously she was hinting to a year or two back when I was at a local bar with one of my friends from high school when I freaked out after seeing her with some guy she must have met somewhere. She yelled at me for at least an hour about being able to date whoever she wished and did not have to ask me if I was alright with it because I wasn't her father or boyfriend.

I looked down at my hands and probably looked like a kicked puppy because a small hand was tilting my head back up. I reluctantly met her surprisingly soft gaze. "Look, Percy, I am sorry I could not tell you, but now you know why." I nodded. "Good, it is your turn, how did you get here and why?"

A battle raged through my mind as I waged if I should-or could-tell her. "Nico, Chiron, and I uh..."

"Chiron is here? Nico as well?"

I nodded, my resolve softening by her excitement to see her old co-workers again. "We were...sent, to find out..why you left." I managed, drawing out the pause between almost every word making my sentence sound unbelievable even to me. Annabeth narrowed her eyes at me and I knew she could tell I was lying, she always could if I had rehearsed it or not, but shook her head with a small smile. Huh.

My attention wasn't on why she let me off the hook long because the small smile turned mischievous and I was being pushed down onto the small bed.

* * *

><p><strong>Happy Thanksgiving everyone, hope none of you died during Black Friday. <strong>

**Me? I spent my Thanksgiving watching the Lions get cheated. How did you spend yours?**


	22. Chapter 22

I hadn't realized I fell asleep until my stomach was being assaulted by two sets of bouncing bodies. The small twin bed creaked with the added weight. "Percy!" Young female and male voices called out.

Using my arms, I easily scooped them both up and replacing them where I use to be next to their mother. All three of them giggled. "Percy!" Annabeth squealed uncharacteristically when I put even less than half my weight on them. "You are crushing us."

"I don't know, you guys make a really comfortable bed, I'm pretty content right here." I put a little more pressure on them as they squirmed and giggled in attempt to get away from me. Kade slipped under my arm and tackled me down to the bed. Maddie took the opportunity to join him on top of me with a move that led me to believe Annabeth had defiantly continued her personal defence training.

I wrapped an arm around Annabeth's waist and pulled her to me, kissing her temple. The twin terrors collapsed on top of us bubbling with laughter. Neither of them were particularly heavy and I found myself drifting off again with Annabeth not far behind me, one of her hands resting on my bare chest and nuzzling her face gently into my neck.

Apparently the small people laying on top of us weren't a exhausted as we were because just as Annabeth and I were getting comfortable, they were moving again, insisting they show me something. I stumbled as I attempted to pull my shirt and black slacks over my boxers, the blond woman still sitting on her bed smacked my butt causing me to physically falling over.

All three of them laughed as my face was smashed against the rough carpeted floor. I grumbled as I pulled the black jeans into place and stood up. Annabeth was sitting up now with Kade on her right thigh. I hoisted the small boy up, running in the limited space making airplane noises while he spread his arms out and laughed.

Annabeth gazed at me from her bed, her eyes flashed with a strange emotion I couldn't decipher in time before it disappeared. I put the platinum blond down. "So what was so important that you had to wake me up?" I asked with fake annoyance, my hands dramatically on my hips.

Kade's grin grew as he remembered. He took my hand, attempting to drag me out of the door but not getting very far because of my superior body mass. "Come on, they're holding a trial for some spies my class found last night!"

I was so surprised Kade managed to pull me out of the bedroom. I was silent as countless hallways drifted by. Had Kade's surveillance class caught the wanna-be ninjas? My stomach churned when I thought of my co-workers that had also been on our scouting mission. If the highly trained government ninjas were compromised, was there even a slim chance Chiron or Nico got out?

Chiron was getting old whether any of us wanted to admit it, he doesn't move like he use to and even though Nico was really skilled in hiding in the shadows, he was up against twelve year olds who eat, sleep, breathe detection.

Before I noticed, Kade led me inside a large room with a crude system of chains hanging down from the ceiling in front of a fancy black seat that was elevated higher than the wooden benches surrounding it. A small hand tugged me to sit in the only empty seats in the back left corner. Kade barely managed to sit still as people around us chatted in Hebrew.

"Calm down." I muttered to him just as a door on the opposite side of the room opened. Three bodies were guided out, their hands handcuffed with a strand of silver chains identical to the strands on the ceiling. Now I was the one shifting in my uncomfortably hard seat as I tried to see the faces of the captured only to find their heads were draped with pitch black hoods.

"Take your own advice."A bony elbow jabbed into my side. I winced silently to myself but calmed down. How could I expect Kade to look up to me or listen if I do the opposite that I tell him to?

The three prisoners were brought to the first three hanging chains and hooked up to them by men with unnaturally large muscles. They backed off to stand in the corner they emerged from. My anxiety rose as quiet chatting between the thirty people in the room was the most exciting thing going on.

Annabeth appeared out of nowhere to sit next to me and efficiently scaring the bullets out of my gun. She gave me a nervous smile and I knew she was just as worried about the three unknown intruders being Chiron or Nico. Madi slid into the space next to her brother just as the familiar face of one Mossad director entered to take his place in the large judge chair.

**Annabeth**

After the kids woke Percy and I up, Kade led him out to the hearing that was scheduled. I sent Madison out to make sure he didn't end up ripping the black haired agent's arm out so I could get ready.

I stood from my small but cozy twin bed jammed in the corner of the equally pint-sized room. The remaining space was occupied by a squished bunk bed that only allowed about two meters of room for a dresser and roaming space. There was a tiny half bathroom with a toilet and sink next to my bed so to shower I had to bring the kids down to the post-mission shower house, but neither of them seemed to mind; enjoying the time we spent together.

Kind of pathetic the only time we were together as a 'family' was daily trips to the shower room. Three fourths of that was my missions and training, but also the kids branching out to do some training of their own.

Madi had taken a shine to hand to hand combat, but I forbid my father to even think about enrolling her in the mission protocol classes-the ones that were 'required' to be taken to be qualified. It was a crude system that didn't really have set guidelines per-se, but to be trusted and put the confidence in to get the job done, a scout has to be able to do certain things. Those things I don't want her to get sucked into, especially at such a young age. I didn't want her taking these classes in the first place, but she's sixteen now and I can't shelter her much longer.

Kade had surprised Percy when he mentioned his surveillance team, surveillance was one of the things I would have preferred the two of them to be interested in because of the lack of blood and killing. Not to demote the detection team, but all they really do is sit in front of computers, the most exciting thing being the scouting team that hunts down intruders.

I sighed as I read over the notice of the hearing that slipped under the door last night after Percy had fallen asleep. I didn't want to wake or worry him so I kept the information to myself. I bit my lip as I read the three names, pausing at the only one I knew long enough to jump me back reality.

Setting down the scribbled note, I moved to change my clothes, pulling out a pair of green cargo capris with a black tank. I may be going to see the judging but I still had new recruit training afterwards and fancy jeans with a loose shirt will last all of five minutes. What I was wearing would probably only see a few sessions if these recruits were anything like the last batch.

As I made my way through the hallways that lead to the court like room, I found myself unable to really focus on my destination because of a certain green eyed American. I must have been really tired last night for not pressing the reason he appeared in my father's personal building barging into the shower house.

I almost groaned out loud when I thought about having to explain that to Celev.

All things considered, I knew Percy had been chosen along with Chiron and Nico to go along on a infiltration squad sent in to find some kind of information. What exactly they were looking for is what troubled me.

I ran into my father just as I was about to enter the judging house. "Father." I acknowledged.

"Navah, were you aware of this?" He asked after the several men behind him had gone into the room beside us.

"Nah aba, I am deeply disappointed."

My father nodded, accepting what I said. "Shall we?"

I walked through the door he was holding open for me, immediately finding the bright blond head of my adopted son bouncing in his seat with excitement while he watched three hooded figures standing on the execution block.

Percy jumped as I slid next to him, forced to be close to him because of the wall on my left and my children not giving us much more room on the right. I could feel his tense muscles as his eyes met mine. I tore away from his transfixing gaze as my father entered the room.

"Let's begin!" He announced loudly.

Percy groaned under his breath. "Translate for me?" He whispered into my ear, his hot breath tickled the skin on my cheek and sending mixed signals through my system. I nodded numbly but before I could tell him the simple sentence, three black hoods fell to the ground to reveal the men underneath. My (ex?) partner caught the breath that made my brain fuzzy just a moment ago as he saw them. "Nico."

* * *

><p><strong>Kinda short, sorry.<strong>

**Always yours,**  
><strong>~Arty<strong>


	23. Chapter 23

"Nico." Percy breathed in upon seeing our old co-worker. The large man behind him violently pulled his hood off, throwing his black hair all over as if it wasn't messy enough. I winced to myself, it looked painful and I knew how strong my father's guards were.

I slipped my hand into his and gave a short reassuring squeeze. He latched on, clutching it as he watched; his eyes never straying from our friend. "You were found sneaking in our building." My father grunted in his heavily accented English only so the prisoners could understand. "Inform us of your intention and your punishment will be lessened."

My eyes stayed closed longer than normal after I blinked because I knew that wasn't going to happen. The two men I did not know stood tall with their mouths pulled in a tight line while Nico kept his eyes fixed on the floor. "Isn't there anything you can do?" Percy asked me, his tone becoming a mix of anxiety and desperate.

I shook my head. "My father knows Nico was in our team, but that will not keep him from delivering a sentence."

"What if he tells him why we came?"

"It will only anger my father with America, he will send our own out to do what...what I did." I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat when I admitted I had done just what Percy had been sent in to do. His grip lightened for a moment before tightening again. "Or worse."

My father started getting irritated with the lack of confession from the three men. The men behind them would whip at their feet if they didn't answer right away, and the most any of them had said so far is "I'm not telling you anything." which only came from the two 'ninjas' as Percy calls them.

Nico stayed silent.

Eventually aba got so frustrated and called a break where he pulled me aside. "Navah, that quiet one was in your squad, talk to him." He commanded.

I sighed, walking into the individual holding unit that reminded me more of a demented jail cell. I used to spend a lot of time in them when I was younger. "Nico?" I called, not seeing him at first. I clicked on the light, easily finding him in the corner. "Are you alright?"

"What do you think?" He spat bitterly, turning his back so he was facing the corner and away from me.

I sat next to him. "I am sorry." I told him uselessly, staring at my hands.

"I don't know how you do it," A pair of deep brown eyes met mine, softening from their previously distant and steely state. I relaxed a bit, glad he didn't completely blame me. "Live here, with him, or handle this on a daily basis. It's hard to imagine even you growing up here."

"This is the life I did not want any of you to have to deal with. It is harsh, not forgiving, I would not wish it on even my worst enemy." There was a pause where neither of us spoke, Nico moved to sit closer to me. His skin was ice cold. "Why did you, Percy, and Chiron come here?"

"Joy freaked out when she found out you took some files." He muttered into his hands. "She got this fight squad ready and we flew out here. A bunch of midgets attacked us separately, do you know where Chiron and Percy are?" He finally looked up at me through his dark brown/black hair.

I shook my head. "Percy found me around oh-three hundred and has been with me since then, I have only just heard about any of you being here. I am trying to think of where they could have gone and not yet been found by the...midgets."

Nico chuckled a bit but it faded quickly. "What will your father do to me?" I looked down at the tightly packed dirt floor. "Annabeth?"

"I could not tell you, trespassers from the village are lashed and forced to serve in the army. Spies...well I have only encountered a few." Nico bumped my shoulder, asking me to continue. "An Iranian spy was burned alive, one from Korea dropped in the desert-"

"Ok," Nico lowered his head, hiding behind his overgrown hair. "You can stop, I get it. Nothing good."

I shook my head but didn't bother saying anything. "What do you suggest I do?" Nico asked, desperateness seeping into his voice.

"Nico, there really is nothing." His expression cut something inside me, I gulped, uncomfortable with the sensation. "I will talk to my father, try to stay warm." I added the last bit as a shiver ran through my body thanks to a rush of cool air.

Walking out of the cell, a guard pushed a block of stone in place to act as a door, sealing whoever was inside from any shred of light of the outside world. "Father," I called to him.

"Did you find why he and they came here?" He demanded the information from me the moment I got within his sight.

"You must promise me," I warned, throwing in a wag of my index finger for good measure. "You will spare his life."

The cool expression stayed on his face as he seemed to consider the idea. He looked me over, searching my face. I steeled my expression and lifted my chin. "And what of the two other men?"

I waved it off, only caring of what happened to Nico. "I could care less of their fate."

This seemed to give my father a spark of joy, as if he was happy he could punish the trespassers. "I suppose I could spare the boy..." He trailed off, rubbing his chin sarcastically trying to make it seem like he wasn't giving in. "But he still must serve at _least _a year of labor in the kitchens."

I allowed myself a sigh of relief, leaning forward to hug him. "Toda aba. House him well, and it will be the last I ask of you."

"Now Navah, I've given you plenty of leave alre-"

"Please."

My request made him stop, his face relaxed. "How could I say no to that, alright bat, he will be in the best worker's homes, but his sentence is moved to two years and I will hear no more on the subject!" I couldn't help but smile.

"Yes sir." Aba smirked at me, tapped my cheek a few times before making his way back into the courtroom.

* * *

><p>"Two years?" Percy exclaimed after we had returned to my quarters. He was pacing in a small circle in the middle of the room. We were alone since the kids were in class which allowed him just a bit more room.<p>

"Percy." I half snarled half scolded. "He was going to be sentenced to death! He will be treated as well as he could be while he is here."

"W...w-when Joy hears about this-"

"She will do nothing." I interrupted again harshly. "Percy, she sequenced a secret espionage mission against a United States ally. She is lucky enough my father seemed to forget Nico and them were American. Now hush and sit down, you are at risk here as well."

The black haired man sat reluctantly across from me. "Why would I be at risk?"

"My father does not know you are here, and I cannot keep you locked in this room for the rest of your life, you must leave. Go back to America, CSI. Tell Joy if she wants a war, she can send another of her 'squads'." By the end of my rant I was spitting out the words, glaring at the floor.

"You can't just expect me to go back to my old life and leave you here, you're too important to me," I started shaking my head, closing my eyes tight to keep the tears from seeping out. Percy picked up my hand. "Now listen to me Annabeth, you are part of my life now and I can't-I _won't-_let you go. I..I can't live without you."

It was harder to shake my head with him pressing his forehead to mine. "Percy.."

"Dammit Annabeth, I love you! Just...please...say it back."

I closed my eyes and backed away from the grip on my cheeks. "No."

* * *

><p><strong>Merry Christmas guys!<strong>

**Always yours,**

**~Arty**


	24. Chapter 24

**Percy**

No?

There is no way she didn't feel anything the times we were together. Sure people had one night stands all the time, no strings attached, but we were more than that...at least I thought so.

Annabeth stood up so fast it made me dizzy. "You have to leave, now." Still in shock, I continued sitting and watched as she grabbed a bag, stuffing my ninja clothes in it. Yesterday she made me shower, switching my all black get up for a set of _Celev_'s green cameo she had _conveniently _in her drawer.

She was halfway out the door when I finally stood. "Why?"

The blond Israeli turned, snatched my collar and started pulling me through the maze of hallways I'd get lost in even if I had a map. I stumbled behind her, trying not to fall on my face or plow into her at the same time. "Where are we going?" I acquired but received no answer as we continued through corridors.

My shirt was released when we arrived at the only room I knew, the helicopter hanger. I looked around in confusion. I was about to ask her for the third time why we were here when I was violently shoved into the open deck of the nearest helio, the bag thumped on my stomach.

The roar of the an engine blasted through my eardrums. My hands shot to my head to cover them as my legs started to dangle from the new lack of concrete. I looked down and was very tempted to jump down, it couldn't be more than a fifteen foot drop, I'd jumped and fallen off worse. Just as I was about to, the helicopter lurched. I scrambled back further on the deck to keep from falling off as the machine started speeding up.

I watched as Annabeth's figure grow smaller as we got further and further. I sighed, situating myself so I was leaning against the pilot's chair. Suddenly a hand grabbed a hold of my under arm and started pulling me up towards him. He yelled something at me but I couldn't hear anything over the deafening roar of the vessel.

After sitting down in the co-pilot's seat, I took the helmet and slipped it over my head. A deep familiar voice crackled through the speaker. "Good to see you again boy!"

Despite everything, I smiled. "Chiron!" I called into the piece of plastic hugging my cheek. "Have you been here the whole time?"

"You bet, I out smarted those kids and hid in this helio. Annabeth found me and we set up this get away for us! We'll come back for Nico when he's served his time."

"What?" I gasped through the speakers. "You mean we're just going to _leave _him here?"

I heard the older man sigh. "He was sentenced by an ally for trespassing and potential espionage. Annabeth did all she could to lessen it, but he has to serve Percy, it's international law."

Amazed and defeated, slumping back in my chair, I sighed. The sun grew closer as we flew west, back to the United States without my best friend and the girl that's clouded my thoughts since the moment I met her.

* * *

><p><strong>Ok...<strong>

**Well as far as I know, that's the end of the story. Kinda a crappy ending though, leave a lot to the imagination, unanswered questions, all the things I'll probably get heat for.**

**If I think of anything, you'll be the first to know.**

**Always yours,  
>~Arty<strong>


	25. Epilogue

_Epilogue _

**Annabeth**

The plane landed, I stood for a moment after departing the terminal watching the other people who were on board with me meet friends or family members who had come to see them. I shook out of my funk, brushing brown hair that had fallen out of the bun it was in away from my face and started to weave my way through the crowd of people towards the exit.

I hailed a taxi, asking him to bring me into the city before sitting back and attempt to somewhat enjoy the long ride.

My stomach called out it's annoyance with me by the time we had reached the metal city. I voiced my change in location to the driver, requesting the nearest restaurant he knew of. The latino man brought me to a sub shop a block over. I thanked him and payed for the ride before hopping out with my duffle bag.

Making my way into the building, I was hit with the strong aroma of fresh bread, cheese, and vegetables. I took a deep breath and sighed with content. As I waited in line, I scanned the room. A few tables were occupied by a quarter dozen young teenagers, an old couple as well as single patrons. To my left was a large bulletin board littered with drawing very obviously done by children along with flyers from multiple businesses.

The bright orange paper on the very end caught my attention just as I was about to step forward to order. It was for a counseling job at a summer camp. "Ma'am?" The employee behind the counter called. I turned to him for a moment then back to the flyer. After a second of thought, I ripped one of the tabs with a number and an address.

"You sure this where you want ta get out miss?" My driver asked in a heavy New York accent. He couldn't have been much older than Kade. "It's a strawberry field, not much else."

I nodded. "Yes, how much?"

"Twelve fifty, but you positive this is where you wanna get out?" I glared, handing him the correct amount and exiting the vehicle after collecting the small duffle bag with my possessions.

Sighing I started up the hill where a single pinewood stood guard, like a soldier protecting the camp. I placed a hand on the base of the grand tree and smiling. From the top of the hill, I could see the whole camp. A gasp slipped from my lips at the sight. It was beautiful.

A ring of cabins shaped like a horseshoe were situated next to a river, next to them was an archery pit among other things, and closest to me was a quaint looking farm house. I decided I would start there and started walking that way.

When I arrived, a man in a wheelchair was sitting on the porch. He smiled when I approached, smile wrinkles spread up to the corner of his eyes hiding a little under a bit of scruff. "You must be the new counselor, my name is Chiron, come with me and I'll introduce you to our senior counselor. He'll give you a tour of the camp and settle you into your cabin."

He disappeared into the open door but I found myself unable to move. Chiron? The man I had worked for, who was like the father I never had and always wanted? Why was he in a wheelchair, did something happen in the field?

"Don't be shy!" He called from inside, snapping me out of my little thought bubble. Quickly I found him in a sort of game room, sitting next to a ping pong table. "He'll be down in a second."

I nodded, standing near him in a relaxing silence; something I haven't had in six years. Finally, a blacked haired, green eyed man came bounding down the flight of stairs across from us. "Hey," He greeted me, his smile hesitating when he saw me but it returned quickly. "My name is Perseus Jackson, but you can call me Percy."

"Anna, Anna Thebes." I shook his outstretched hand.

"Cool last name. Come on, I'll give you a tour of the camp." I followed him out of the house, a pit of a daze still hovering over my brain. "-and this is the arena, I teach swordsmanship and hand to hand combat to the campers."

"Sword fighting? Isn't that a bit dangerous?" I realized I hadn't been paying attention through the first part of the tour. "It looks more like a Coliseum."

Percy laughed. "Yeah the seating was over done, we have a lot of parties here but don't worry, the blades are completely dull." He took a sword out of a barrel. "It couldn't cut butter." He ran the side over his arm, it barely leaving any sign of ever being there.

"Mind if I test your skills?"

His eyebrows rose and chuckled. "You want a match?"

I smirked. "Unless you are..." I hesitated, forgetting the phrase. "Unless you are a horse."

Percy threw his head back and laughed out loud. "I think you mean chicken."

"Anyone can be a chicken," I defended, crossing my arms.

"Alright, pick a blade." He went over and grabbed a sword off the rack, twirling it around in a way that might have intimidated anyone else. I smirked right back at him and picked up a dagger. "A knife? You sure? I have a sword."

"I can see that." I shot back.

"_The new girl is going to fight Percy!"_

"_She's using a dagger? She's done for!" _

Kids started to conjugate around us, interested in seeing their teacher fight the newbie counselor.

A genuine and excited smile spread across his face. "This should be fun." He lunged forward toward the right side of my rib cage predictively. I easily sidestepped to the left and the lack of contact surprised him so much he fell on his butt.

I smirked down at him, tossing my knife up and catching it so the blade pointed down; the butt of the hilt just above my thumb. Percy scrambled to his feet. "Nice move." He moved to my left a bit before taking a downward stroke at my shoulder. I brought the dagger up and easily matched his strength, keeping both blades from moving an inch.

Pushing to the right, I managed to get Percy to extend his arm and his sword away from me. Taking the opportunity, I spun into his personal space and shoved the butt of my knife between his hand, thrusting outward I forced him to release his sword and sent it skittering away.

Jaw slack, eyes wide, and posture defeated, Percy stared at his discarded weapon. I tossed my own away, it clanged as it hit his and the sound seemed to shake him out of shock. Crouching into a fighter's stance, I put up my fists close to my face.

My opponent grinned, putting his own clenched fists and began circling me. I relaxed and allowed him to do so. He rounded me once, twice, and on the third round a gush of air passed across the back of my arm. I tilted my shoulder back so his fist couldn't hit me. His arm appeared next to me. I grabbed his wrist, bending it behind his back. Placing my other hand on his other shoulder, I kicked his knees and forced him to the ground.

"You never could beat me." I whispered into his ear. My taunt gained a gasp from the black haired man. I released his arm but kept my hand on his shoulder. Making my way to his front, my hand trailed across the back of his neck to under his chin, pushing it up I forced him to look at me.

"Annabeth?" He breathed. I gave a small smile. As if it gave him confidence, Percy stood up, bringing his hands up to cup my cheeks. They were so big his hands covered the sides of my neck as well. Percy traced my lip with one of his thumbs. "Is it really you?"

"Yes," I closed my eyes, talking under his thumb was too distracting. "I know I have hurt you but please...kiss me."

Even if he had agreed to kiss me, I never would have thought he would have done it with as much passion as he did just then. Percy obeyed my request without hesitation, swooping down from his incredible hight to press his lips against mine with a heated desire. His strong hands kept me from moving as he poured all his emotions into the kiss.

I had no trouble keeping up.

"You quit Mossad?" Percy exclaimed in surprise.

I nodded. "My father and I had a falling out." The grip around my waist tightened. I paused to look over my shoulder at the man holding on to me. "At first he was happy I was back to work because the whole time Nico was...serving I could not _stand _being home so I was always out."

Nico winced at the memory from the corner. "You mean you were...?"

"Yes Percy, killing people. When he was released, I came back for a bit but after Madison went off to Oxford we just continued to disagree until I could not take it anymore."

"What about Kade?" Chiron acquired from his wheelchair. It turns out he took a bullet two years ago and retired to run this camp. Percy, who apparently had been a camper before, came to work during the summer and dragged Nico with him.

"My mother is bringing him over very soon, she wanted me to find a job and a sort of shelter to make her feel better knowing we were not living on the streets."

"Wait, the same mom who left when you were like eight?"

I gave a short nod, "Yes, I found her on one of my missions. She was very excited to hear about grandchildren." All three men laughed. "He should be here soon, she is bringing him over on her husband's model plane."

"I am looking forward to see the lad," Chiron smile reached his eyes and made me grin as well. "How old is he now?"

"He is seventeen, Maddi is twenty."

"Man," One of Percy's hands released it's hold on my hip to rub his face. "It seems like yesterday they were five and eight." Nodding in agreement, I smiled at the memories. Chiron excused himself to start some sort of activity, Nico went with him to help leaving Percy and I alone.

"Annabeth?" Percy whispered resting his head on my shoulder. I hummed in question, leaning back against his chest. "Are you staying this time?"

I moved so I was facing him, taking his face in my hands. "I am here as long as you will have me."

Percy grin was larger than I thought possible for a human. "You better get use to the city then, because you're going to be here for a _very _long time."

"Looking forward to it." I giggled, pressing my lips against his, very much looking forward to doing _that _whenever I pleased.

* * *

><p><strong>Now it's over. And no, I hate to disappoint everyone but there won't be a sequel. I mean, what would I write about? Annabeth becoming a homebody? Percy in the NYPD? Them getting married and having their own kids with the success of Kade and Maddi's lives added in? Doesn't sound too interesting to me.<strong>

**It's been a good ride, and I love everyone who stuck with me. Don't worry thought, I've got a lot of projects brewing. I'm working on a sequel to another of my stories _A Star Is Born_ if anyone follows that, a few other stories that aren't fan based (spreading out with my own ideas! :D), it's gonna be good!**

**OH! PLEASE! I entered a short story contest on a website call Figment. It's called '_The Runaway_'. To win I need people to 'heart' my story, so if anyone wants to help me, please go to (figment.c-o-m / books/471339-The-Runaway (take out the - things in the com)) I've got a pretty good start but I need help. If you're in a helping mood... :)**

**Always yours,**  
><strong>~Arty<strong>


End file.
